Medicine dispensing system and medicine dispensing device

ABSTRACT

There is provided a medicine dispensing system configured such that a medicine dispensing device includes a sub unit having a function to dispense medicine that is connected to a medicine dispensing device that includes a main unit having a function of packing medicines. There is also provided a medicine dispensing device that can be appropriately integrated with such a medicine dispensing system. The medicine dispensing system includes, in some embodiments a main unit, a sub unit and a transfer device connecting the main unit and the sub unit. The medicine dispensing system transfers the medicine dispensed in the sub unit to the main unit by means of a transfer device and dispenses the medicine at a medicine packing part together with the medicine dispensed from a main storage part in the main unit.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part under 35 U.S.C. §§120 and365(c) of International Patent Application No. PCT/JP2008/069208, filedOct. 23, 2008, the entire contents of which are incorporated byreference herein, which claims the benefit of the followingapplications, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated byreference herein:

-   Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-274931, filed Oct. 23, 2007,-   Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-274932, filed Oct. 23, 2007,-   Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-274933, filed Oct. 23, 2007,-   Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-274934, filed Oct. 23, 2007,-   Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-190195, filed Jul. 23, 2008,-   Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-240590, filed Sep. 19, 2008,    and-   Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-264662, filed Oct. 10, 2008.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a medicine dispensing systemconstructed by adding a sub unit to a main unit. Further, the presentinvention relates to a medicine dispensing device for such a sub unit.

BACKGROUND ART

There exists in the art a medicine dispensing device as disclosed in thebelow-mentioned reference Patent Document 1. A prior art medicinedispensing device has a storage part for storing a plurality kinds ofmedicines. Such a prior art medicine dispensing device is constructed topack medicines removed from the storage part according to prescriptionsand dispense the same.

-   Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No.    2001-276183

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a prior art medicine dispensing device, the storage part isconfigured to accommodate a plurality kinds of medicines. However, withan increase in the kinds of medicines to be dealt with, more kinds ofmedicines than those accommodated by the storage part must be dealtwith. Installing a plurality of prior art medicine dispensing devicescan address such a need. However, there is a problem with such solutionin that each medicine dispensing device packs medicines in a differentmanner. Further, installing a plurality of medicine dispensing deviceshas another problem in that it needs a larger installation arearesulting in higher maintenance costs.

In one embodiment, a medicine dispensing system is configured such thata medicine dispensing device includes a sub unit having a function ofdispensing medicines that is connected to a medicine dispensing devicethat includes a main unit having a function of packing medicines. Thepresent invention also seeks to provide a medicine dispensing devicethat can be appropriately employed to such a medicine dispensing system.

In another embodiment, a medicine dispensing system includes a mainunit; one or more sub units; and a transfer device configured to connectthe main unit and the sub units. The main unit includes: a main storagepart configured to store and dispense a plurality kinds of medicines;and a packing part configured to pack the medicine dispensed from themain storage part. The sub unit includes a sub storage part configuredto store and dispense a plurality kinds of medicines. The transferdevice transfers the medicine dispensed from the sub storage part towardthe main unit. The packing part of the main unit packs and dispenses themedicine.

The medicine dispensing system of the present invention includes themain unit and the sub unit and can transfer the medicine dispensed fromthe sub storage part provided in the sub unit toward the main unit usingthe transfer device. Further, in the medicine dispensing system of thepresent invention, the main unit has the packing part. The main unit canpack not only the medicine dispensed from the main storage part of themain unit, but also the medicine from the sub storage part of the subunit at the pack part. Thus, the medicine dispensing system of thepresent invention can deal with many kinds of medicines and a largequantity of medicine through use of the sub unit when compared toutilizing the main unit alone.

Further, the packing part of the main unit is capable of packing themedicine dispensed in the sub unit. Thus, the medicines dispensed fromboth the main unit and the sub unit can be packed into equal medicinepacks or containers. Further, the medicine dispensing system of thepresent invention does not need a packing part to be included in the subunit. Thus, not providing a packing part to the sub unit allows the subunit to be compact or to be configured to accommodate more kinds ofmedicines and a larger quantity of medicine. Moreover, this canminimally decrease the installation area of the medicine dispensingsystem as well as the maintenance task thereof.

Further, the transfer device of the medicine dispensing system may havethe pipe line connecting the main unit and the sub unit and the transfermeans configured to suck or pressure-send the medicine staying in thepipe line from the sub unit toward the main unit.

According to such configuration, the medicines dispensed from the substorage part in the sub unit may be easily transferred to the main unit.

The transfer device, which the medicine dispensing system of someembodiments includes, is configured to suck or pressure-send medicinesexisting in the pipe line by means of the medicine transfer means. Thus,according to the above-described transfer device, medicines can berapidly transferred from the sub unit toward the main unit. Further, theabove-described transfer device is capable of a transfer path of themedicines by appropriately adjusting the shape of the pipe line. Thus,the medicine dispensing system of in an embodiment has a higher degreeof freedom in arrangement on the main unit and the sub unit.

Further, the transfer path of the transfer means can be set byappropriately adjusting the pipe line. Thus, it is possible toappropriately set the dispensing position of the medicine transferred bythe transfer device in the main unit and the delivery position ofdelivering the medicine to be transferred to the transfer device.Accordingly, layout and configuration of members or components making upthe main unit and the sub unit can be adjusted independently andrespectively. Specifically, in the medicine dispensing system of oneembodiment, the layout and configuration of the sub storage part of thesub unit can be adjusted to be adapted to the medicine storage or themedicine dispensing independently of the layout and configuration of themain storage part, a medicine awaiting part, the packing part, etc.Thus, in the medicine dispensing system of the present invention, it ispossible to optimize the layout and configuration of the main unit andthe sub unit.

Further, the transfer device may have a medicine delivering partconfigured to receive and dispense a medicine. The medicine deliveringpart may be configured to turn about a turning shaft and expand andcontract in a direction orthogonal to the turning shaft.

The transfer device, in some embodiments, has the medicine deliveringpart configured to receive and dispense a medicine. The medicinedelivering part is configured to turn about the turning shaft and expandand contract in the direction orthogonal to the turning shaft. Thus, themedicine dispensing system in some embodiments is capable of receivingthe medicine dispensed in the sub unit and delivering the same to themain unit by appropriately turning the medicine delivering part orexpanding and contracting the medicine delivering part according to thearrangement of the main unit and the sub unit.

The medicine dispensing system of the present invention canappropriately adjust the arrangement of the main unit and the sub unitwithin a range wherein the medicine can be delivered by the transfermeans. Thus, the medicine dispensing system of the present invention hasa higher degree of freedom in the arrangement of the main unit and thesub unit. Further, the medicine delivering part is capable of turningand expanding and contracting in the direction orthogonal to the turningshaft. Thus, the medicine delivering part can turn as contracted andtherefore a space necessary for turning of the medicine delivering partcan be minimized. Accordingly, the present invention can contributesaving space in the medicine dispensing system.

Further, the transfer device may include a medicine delivery containerconfigured to receive and dispense a medicine; and a drive mechanismconfigured to move the medicine delivery container between the main unitand the sub unit. The drive mechanism may include a conveying partconfigured to reciprocate the medicine delivering part; a directionadjusting means configured to adjust a direction of the conveying meansrelative to the main unit and the sub unit by turning the conveyingmeans.

The transfer device, which is employed in the present invention, isconfigured to reciprocate the medicine delivery container for receivingand dispensing a medicine in the conveying part and to adjust thedirection thereof relative to the main unit and the sub unit by turningthe conveying part. Thus, in the medicine dispensing system of thepresent invention, the medicine dispensed in the sub unit can bereceived into the medicine delivering part by adjusting the inclineddirection of the delivering part such that the medicine dispensed fromthe sub storage part of the sub unit is situated in a position where themedicine can be received. Further, the medicine dispensed in the subunit can be delivered to the main unit by adjusting an inclination of aconveyance path such that the medicine delivery container reaches aposition where the medicine is delivered in the main storage part afterthe medicine is received in the medicine delivering part, and then bymoving the medicine delivering part to the main unit.

The medicine dispensing system in some embodiments can appropriatelyadjust the arrangement of the main unit and the sub unit within a rangewherein the medicine can be delivered by the transfer means. Thus, themedicine dispensing system can appropriately adjust the arrangement ofthe main unit and the sub unit.

Further, the transfer device may include a forward pipe line connectingthe main storage part and the sub storage part; an airflow producingmeans producing airflow from the sub unit toward the main unit withinthe forward pipe line; an exhaust pipe line connected to the mainstorage part; a suction and exhaust means sucking and exhausting throughthe exhaust pipe line from an inside portion of the main storage part toan outside portion thereof; and a shutter disposed between the forwardpipe line and the exhaust pipe line and the main storage part. Thetransfer device may be configured to perform the following: a medicinetransferring operation for moving a medicine to the main storage part byoperating the airflow producing means in a closed state where theforward pipe line is closed by the shutter; and a medicine introducingoperation for introducing a medicine from the forward pipe line to themain storage part by operating the airflow producing means in acommunication state where the shutter is opened and the forward pipeline, the exhaust pipe line and the main storage part are incommunication with one another.

The medicine dispensing system can transfer medicine from the substorage part toward the main storage part through the medicinetransferring operation and thereafter can introduce the medicinetransferred in such a manner to the main storage part through themedicine introducing operation. Thus, the medicine dispensing system ofthe present invention can deliver the medicine from the sub storage partto the main storage part by repeating the above-described medicinetransferring operation and medicine introducing operations.

Further, in the medicine dispensing system of the present invention,since the operation for transferring the medicine between the main unitand the sub unit and the operation for introducing the medicine in themain unit are separately performed, the velocity of the airflow flowingwithin the forward pipe line during transfer of the medicine may be notso fast. Thus, in the medicine dispensing system of on embodiment, themedicines transferred from the main unit to the sub unit can beprevented from severely colliding with each other, breaking or chippingduring their transfer.

In the above-described medicine dispensing system, the shutter mayinclude a forward obstruction portion for obstructing a space betweenthe forward pipe line and the main storage part; and a buffer meansprovided at the forward obstruction portion and configured to buffer animpact caused by a collision of the medicines proceeding within theforward pipe line.

With the above-described construction, the buffer means buffers theimpact caused by a collision of the medicines with the shutter in themedicine transferring operation. Thus, the medicine dispensing system ofthe present invention can surely prevent the medicines from breaking orchipping due to collisions with the shutter in the medicine transferringoperation.

The above-described medicine dispensing system may include apartitioning means configured to partition an internal space of the mainstorage part. Further, the medicine dispensing system may be configuredsuch that when the shutter becomes opened, both the exhaust pipe lineand the forward pipe line become in communication with a space, which isformed according to a division caused by the partitioning means.

The above-described medicine dispensing system can decrease the volumeof the space, with which, when the shutter becomes opened, both theexhaust pipe line and the forward pipe line become in communication witheach other, by partitioning the internal space of the main storage partthrough the partitioning means. Thus, the above-described medicinedispensing system does not need to excessively enlarge the exhaustcapacity of the suction and exhaust means in order to introduce themedicine from the forward pipe line to the main storage part in themedicine introducing operation. Further, according to theabove-described configuration, the exhaust capacity of the suction andexhaust means can be restricted. Thus, when the medicines are introducedto the main storage part, it is possible to prevent the medicines fromcolliding into one another and colliding with an inner peripheralsurface of the main storage part or to buffer the impact resulting fromsuch collision. Further, it is possible to more certainly preventoccurrence of the breakage or chipping of the medicines along with themedicine transfer.

In the above-described medicine dispensing system, it is preferred thatthe velocity of airflow flowing to transfer the medicine toward the mainunit in the medicine transferring operation is slower than that of theairflow flowing to introduce the medicine to the main unit in themedicine introducing operation.

According to such configuration, it is possible to certainly prevent themedicine transferred from the sub unit through the medicine transferringoperation from colliding with the shutter to thereby break.

In the above-described medicine dispensing system, the exhaust pipe linemay connect the main storage part and the sub storage part.

The above-described medicine dispensing system may include a filterprovided at a halfway portion of a flow line wherein airflow is producedconcomitantly with transferring the medicine between the sub storagepart and the main storage part; an airflow amount detecting meansconfigured to detect an airflow amount in the flow line concomitantlywith transferring the medicine from the main storage part to the substorage part; and a clogging judging means configured to judge aclogging of the filter based on the airflow amount detected by theairflow amount detecting means.

According to such configuration, the clogging of the filter can beeasily and certainly detected and thus maintenance of the filter can beperformed at an appropriate time.

In case of employing such configuration, when it is doubtful whether thefilter is clogged due to a decrease in the airflow amount detected bythe airflow amount detecting means, the clogging judging means may judgethe clogging of the filter and then the operation for transferring themedicine may be immediately stopped. If so, the medicine stops in themiddle of the forward pipe line, thereby leading to troubles in thedispensing operation. Therefore, although the filter could be possiblyclogged, it is preferred that the medicine dispensing system isconfigured to transfer the medicine to the main storage part.

Further, it is more preferable that the medicine dispensing system isconfigured to transfer the medicine to the main storage part byincreasing the output of the airflow producing means and/or the suctionand exhaust means when there is a decrease in the airflow amountdetected by the airflow amount detecting means, and to judge theclogging of the filter by the clogging detecting means upon when thereis an increase in the output of the airflow producing means and/or thesuction and exhaust means.

When the medicine dispensing system is configured as indicated above, itis possible in some embodiments to transfer the medicine to the mainstorage part prior to judging the clogging of the filter by increasingthe output of the airflow producing means or the suction and exhaustmeans. Thus, according to such configuration, it is possible to preventproblems during the dispensing operation, which may occur because themedicines stop in the middle of the forward pipe line due to theclogging of the filter.

The above-described medicine dispensing system may include a filterprovided at a halfway portion of a flow line wherein airflow is producedconcomitantly with transferring the medicine between the sub storagepart and the main storage part; an airflow amount detecting meansconfigured to detect an airflow amount in the flow line concomitantlywith transferring the medicine from the main storage part to the substorage part; and a notifying means. The medicine dispensing system maybe configured to transfer the medicine to the main storage part byincreasing the output of the airflow producing means and/or the suctionand exhaust means upon a condition of decrease in the airflow amountdetected by the airflow amount detecting means, and to notify theclogging of the filter by the notifying means.

Where the medicine dispensing system is configured as indicated above,when it is assumed that the filter is clogged due to a decrease in theairflow amount detected by the airflow amount detecting means, themedicine under the transferring operation is transferred, in someembodiments, to the main storage part and at the same time, the cloggingof the filter is immediately notified, thereby urging users to takesuitable measures.

Further, according to the present invention, the transfer device mayinclude a forward pipe line connecting the main storage part and the substorage part; an airflow producing means configured to produce an airflow within the forward pipe line from the sub unit toward the mainunit; and a delivery part connected to the forward pipe line andconfigured to receive and dispense the medicine transferred from the subunit through the forward pipe line in the main unit. The delivery partmay include a delivery container, to which the forward pipe line isconnected, and a shutter. The delivery container may include an internalspace, which is configured such that the medicine transferred throughthe forward pipe line freely falls therein, and a dispensing openingdisposed at a bottom portion of the delivery container to dispense themedicine. The shutter may be configured to be changed between adispensing-allowed state where the medicine is allowed to be dispensedfrom the dispensing opening, and a dispensing-unallowed state.

In the medicine dispensing system of another embodiment, the medicinedispensed from the sub storage part may be transferred to the mainstorage part and may be received in the delivering part in advance, byhaving the shutter being in the dispensing-unallowed state where themedicine is not dispensed from the dispensing opening formed at thebottom of the delivering part and by operating the airflow producingmeans. Thereafter, the medicine received in the delivering part may bedispensed for a purpose of packing it by operating the shutter andconverting it in the dispensing-unallowed state where the medicine isdispensed from the dispensing opening. Thus, the medicine dispensingsystem of the present invention may pack the medicine dispensed from themain storage part as well as the medicine dispensed from the sub storagepart at the packing part provided in the main unit.

Meanwhile, in case the forward pipe line is connected to the deliveringpart as described above, since the medicine transferred from the subunit is moved within the delivery container due to the airflow flowingfrom the forward pipe line into the delivery container, there could be apossibility that the medicine does not freely drop toward the bottom ofthe delivery container formed with the dispensing opening.

Accordingly, according to the present invention provided consideringsuch knowledge, the delivery container may include an exhaust hole forexhausting an airflow flowing in through the forward pipe line and theexhaust hole may be positioned downwardly of a connection positionbetween the delivery container and the forward pipe line.

In the medicine dispensing system of the present invention, since theexhaust hole is positioned downwardly of the connection position betweenthe delivery container and the forward pipe line, the airflow flowinginto the delivery container through the forward pipe line is allowed toflow downwardly. Thus, the medicine introduced into the deliverycontainer through the forward pipe line also drops smoothly along withthe airflow flowing downwardly within the delivery container.

In the above-described medicine dispensing system, the deliverycontainer may include a side portion (A) connected to the forward pipeline; and a pair of opposed side portions (B, C) crossing to the sideportions. The exhaust hole may be provided at each of the pair of theside portions (B, C).

Where the medicine dispensing system is configured as such, the airflowflowing into the delivery container through the forward pipe line isallowed to bifurcately flow to the exhaust holes provided at the sideportions (B, C) and thus the medicine smoothly drops within the deliverycontainer.

When the medicine is introduced into the delivering part along with theairflow flowing through the forward pipe line as described above, therecould be a possibility that the medicine collides against an inner wallsurface of the delivery container from the force of the airflow. Thus,the above-described medicine dispensing system is configured to minimizethe impact on the medicine caused by its collision.

Accordingly, considering such knowledge, a buffer means configured tobuffer an impact caused by collision of the medicine may be providedwithin the delivery container. The forward pipe line may be connected toa side portion of the delivery container, and the buffer means may bedisposed opposite to the side portion to which the forward pipe line isconnected.

In the medicine dispensing system of the present invention, the buffermeans is disposed within the delivery container opposite to the sideportion to which the forward pipe line is connected. Thus, when themedicine introduced into the delivery container from the forward pipeline flows on the force of the airflow and collides against the buffermeans, the impact caused thereby is buffered and the possibility ofbreakage or chipping of the medicine is reduced.

Further, the shutter may be configured to change an inclination thereofin the delivery container. The shutter may go into thedispensing-unallowed state where the medicine is not dispensed from thedispensing opening when the shutter is situated to obliquely traversethe internal space of the delivery container. And, the shutter may gointo the dispensing-allowed state where the medicine is dispensed fromthe dispensing opening by changing the inclination of the shutter fromthe dispensing-unallowed state.

In the dispensing-unallowed state where the medicine is not dispensedfrom the dispensing opening, the shutter is inclined within the deliverycontainer. Thus, according to such configuration, a dropping distance ofthe medicine within the delivery container can be shortened and themedicine dropping down toward the shutter can be guided to the bottomside along the shutter, thereby minimizing the impact exerted on themedicine.

In the above-described medicine dispensing system, the deliverycontainer may be configured to be divided into two or more sub containerbodies.

According to such configuration, since the delivery container is dividedinto each sub container body, cleaning the inside of the deliverycontainer and the maintenance thereof can be easily performed.

If the airflow is produced to flow toward the delivering part totransfer the medicine from the sub unit to the main unit as describedabove, it is preferable to devise some means so that dust cannot blow inundesired locations due to the airflow exhausted from the deliveringpart.

Accordingly, the delivery part may further include an outer container,in which the delivery container may be disposed. The delivery containermay include an exhaust part for exhausting an airflow exhausted from thedelivery container into the outer container outwardly of the outercontainer.

In some embodiments, the delivery container is disposed in the outercontainer and the airflow exhausted from the delivery part can beexhausted through the exhausting part into an internal space of theouter container. Thus, it is possible to prevent the dusts from blowingunder the influence caused by the exhausted airflow.

Further, in other embodiments, the exhausting part may include a primaryfilter; and a secondary filter disposed downstream of the primary filterin an exhaust flow direction, the secondary filter having meshes finerthan the primary filter.

In the medicine dispensing system of the present invention, since theprimary filter and the secondary filter are provided at the exhaustingpart, when dusts is contained in the airflow exhausted from thedelivering part to the outer container, such dust can be prevented fromleaking outwardly of the outer container. Further, in the medicinedispensing system of the present invention, the primary filter withsparse meshes is disposed upstream of the secondary filter having finemeshes in the exhaust flow direction, thereby enlarging a service lifeof the secondary filter with fine meshes.

Further, in the above-described medicine dispensing system, a pipingconstituting the forward pipe line may preferably comprise a hardmaterial in order to prevent jamming caused by the medicine in themiddle thereof. Meanwhile, when the forward pipe line comprising apiping of a hard material is directly connected to the delivering part,a joint portion between the forward pipe line and the delivering partcan be broken due to some stress acting thereon. Thus, in theabove-described medicine dispensing system, it is preferable to devisesome means to cope with such a problem.

Accordingly, the delivery container and the forward pipe line may beconnected to each other via a flexible joint pipe.

According to such configuration, when some stress acts on the forwardpipe line, such stress is absorbed or mitigated through the joint pipeconstituting the joint portion between the delivering part and theforward pipe line, thereby preventing the joint portion between thedelivering part and the forward pipe line from being broken.

In the above-described medicine dispensing, while a transfer operationof medicine from the sub unit to the main unit is completed andthereafter a next transfer operation is done, the shutter may go intothe dispensing-allowed state and the airflow producing means mayoperate, thereby performing a sweeping operation for sweeping a medicinetransfer passage formed in the transfer device.

According to such configuration, the medicine transfer passage formed inthe transfer device can be maintained cleanly with ease.

According to another embodiment, a medicine dispensing device for a subunit for constructing a medicine dispensing system includes a main unitand one or more sub units, the main unit and the sub unit beingconfigured to dispense a predetermined medicine by a predeterminedquantity; and a transfer device, wherein a medicine dispensed in the subunit is transferred by the transfer device to the main unit and isdispensed in the main unit. The medicine dispensing device may include asub storage part configured to store and dispense a plurality kinds ofmedicines; and a transfer device configured to transfer a medicinedispensed from the sub storage part toward the main unit.

The medicine dispensing device includes the transfer device and isconfigured to dispense medicine from the sub storage part toward themain storage part by means of the transfer device. Thus, a medicinedispensing system may be constructed, wherein the medicine stored in thesub storage part can be dispensed in the main unit, by employing themedicine dispensing device of the present invention as the sub unit andcombining such a sub unit with the main unit.

Further, in the medicine dispensing device of the present invention, thetransfer device may have the pipe line connecting the main unit and thesub unit and the transfer means configured to suck or pressure-send themedicine staying in the pipe line from the sub unit toward the mainunit.

The medicine dispensing device can be a part of a medicine dispensingsystem, wherein the medicine dispensed from the sub storage part is fedto the main unit and can be dispensed in the main unit, by connectingthe pipe line to the main unit.

Further, since the above-described medicine dispensing device transfersthe medicine by sucking or pressure-sending the medicine, a transferpath of the medicines can be appropriately set by appropriatelyarranging the pipe line. Thus, the medicine dispensing device may insome embodiments have a higher degree of freedom in arrangement on themain unit.

Further, the transfer device may have a medicine delivering partconfigured to receive and dispense a medicine dispensed from the substorage part. The medicine delivering part may be configured to turnabout a turning shaft and expand and contract in a direction orthogonalto the turning shaft.

The medicine dispensing device is configured such that the medicinedelivering part turns about the turning shaft or expands and contractsin the direction orthogonal to the turning shaft. Thus, in case ofcombining the medicine dispensing device of the present invention withthe main unit to construct a medicine dispensing system, the medicinedelivering part can obtain its movable range and the medicine dispensedfrom the sub storage part to the medicine delivering part can betransferred to the main unit and be dispensed therefrom.

Further, the medicine delivering part is capable of expanding andcontracting in the direction orthogonal to the turning shaft. Thus, themedicine dispensing device of the present invention can turn themedicine delivering part as contracted. Therefore a space necessary forturning of the medicine delivering part can be minimized.

Further, the transfer device may include a medicine delivery containerconfigured to receive a medicine dispensed from the sub storage part andto dispense the medicine to a medicine preparing part for the medicine;and a drive mechanism configured to move the medicine delivery containerbetween itself and the main unit. The drive mechanism may include aconveying part configured to reciprocate the medicine delivering part; adirection adjusting means configured to adjust a direction of theconveying means relative to the main unit by turning the conveying part.

The transfer device, which is employed in the medicine dispensingdevice, has the drive mechanism and is configured to reciprocate themedicine delivery container between the main unit and itself and toadjust the direction of the conveying part relative to the main unit.Thus, the medicine dispensing device appropriately operates the transferdevice to place the medicine delivery container in a position suitablefor receiving the medicine dispensed in the sub unit and in a positionwhere the medicine must be dispensed in the main unit.

Further, the transfer device includes a forward pipe line incommunication with the sub storage part and configured to be connectedto the main storage part provided in the main unit; an airflow producingmeans producing airflow from the sub unit toward the main unit withinthe forward pipe line; an exhaust pipe line configured to be connectedto the main storage part; a suction and exhaust means configured to suckand exhaust through the exhaust pipe line from inside the main storagepart to an outside portion thereof; and a shutter configured to close atleast one of the forward pipe line and the exhaust pipe line. Thetransfer device may be configured to perform the following: a medicinetransferring operation for moving a medicine to the main storage part byoperating the airflow producing means in a closed state where theforward pipe line is closed by the shutter; and a medicine introducingoperation for introducing medicine from the forward pipe line to themain storage part by operating the suction and exhaust means in acommunication state where the shutter is opened and the forward pipeline, the exhaust pipe line and the main storage part are incommunication with one another.

The medicine dispensing device can transfer a medicine by means ofairflow flowing from the sub storage part toward the main storage partthrough the medicine transferring operation and thereafter can introducethe medicine into the main storage part through the medicine introducingoperation. Thus, the medicine dispensing system of the present inventioncan deliver the medicine from the sub storage part to the main storagepart by repeating the medicine transferring operation and medicineintroducing operation.

Further, in the medicine dispensing device, the medicine transferringoperation for transferring the medicine by means of the airflow and themedicine introducing operation for introducing the medicine into themain storage part can be separately performed. Thus, in the medicinetransferring operation, the airflow may flow within the forward pipeline at a velocity sufficient enough to transfer the medicine in thevicinity of the main storage part. The velocity of the airflow flowingwithin the forward pipe line in the medicine transferring operation doesnot need to become excessively fast. Thus, in the medicine dispensingsystem, the medicines transferred from the main unit to the sub unit canbe prevented from severely colliding with each other, breaking orchipping during their transfer operation.

In the above-described medicine dispensing device, the shutter mayinclude a forward obstruction portion for obstructing the forward pipeline; and a buffer means provided at the forward obstruction portion andconfigured to buffer an impact caused by collision of the medicinesproceeding within the forward pipe line.

In case of providing the buffer means as described above, the impactcaused by the collision between the shutter and the medicinestransferred through the medicine transferring operation can be buffered.Thus, according to the above-described embodiment, the medicinedispensing device can surely prevent the medicines from breaking orchipping due to collision between the medicine and the shutterconcomitantly with the medicine transferring operation.

The above-described medicine dispensing device may include apartitioning means configured to partition an internal space of the mainstorage part. Further, the medicine dispensing device may be configuredsuch that when the shutter becomes opened, both the exhaust pipe lineand the forward pipe line become in communication with a space, which isformed according to a division caused by the partitioning means.

According to such configuration, by partitioning the internal space ofthe main storage part through the partitioning means, the volume of thespace, with which, when the shutter becomes opened, both the exhaustpipe line and the forward pipe line become in communication, can bedecreased. Thus, although the suction and exhaust means does not have anexcessively high exhaust capacity, the above-described medicinedispensing device can introduce the medicine transferred through theforward pipe line into the main storage part in the medicine introducingoperation. Further, according to the above-described embodiment, theexhaust capacity of the suction and exhaust means can be minimized.Thus, when the medicines are introduced into the main storage part, itis possible to prevent the medicines from colliding into one another andto prevent occurrence of the breakage or chipping of the medicines.

In the above-described medicine dispensing system, a velocity of theairflow flowing within the forward pipe line by operation of the airflowproducing means may be slower than that of the exhaust concomitantlywith operation of the suction and exhaust means.

According to such configuration, it is possible to certainly prevent themedicine transferred from the sub unit through the medicine transferringoperation from colliding with the shutter to thereby break.

In the above-described medicine dispensing device, the exhaust pipe linemay be connected to the sub storage part.

The above-described medicine dispensing device may include a filterprovided at a halfway portion of a flow line wherein an airflow isproduced concomitantly with transferring the medicine between the substorage part and the main storage part; an airflow amount detectingmeans configured to detect an airflow amount in the flow lineconcomitantly with transferring the medicine from the main storage partto the sub storage part; and a clogging judging means configured tojudge a clogging of the filter based on the airflow amount detected bythe airflow amount detecting means.

According to such configuration, the clogging of the filter can beeasily and certainly detected and thus maintenance of the filter can beperformed at an appropriate timing.

Further, it is preferred that the above-described medicine dispensingdevice is configured to transfer the medicine to the main storage partby increasing the output of the airflow producing means and/or thesuction and exhaust means upon a condition of decrease in the airflowamount detected by the airflow amount detecting means, and to judge theclogging of the filter by the clogging detecting means upon a conditionof increase in the output of the airflow producing means and/or thesuction and exhaust means.

Where the medicine dispensing system is configured as such, it ispossible to avoid that the medicine under transfer is transferred to themain storage part and stays in the medicine transfer path by increasingthe output of the airflow producing means or the suction and exhaustmeans prior to judging the clogging of the filter. Thus, according tosuch configuration, it is possible to prevent the troubles in thedispensing operation, which may occur because the medicine is completelytransferred to the main storage part in the clogging of the filter.

The above-described medicine dispensing device may include a filterprovided at a halfway portion of a flow line wherein an airflow isproduced concomitantly with transferring the medicine between the substorage part and the main storage part; an airflow amount detectingmeans configured to detect an airflow amount in the flow lineconcomitantly with transferring the medicine from the main storage partto the sub storage part; and a notifying means. The medicine dispensingdevice may be configured to transfer the medicine to the main storagepart by increasing the output of the airflow producing means and/or thesuction and exhaust means upon a condition of decrease in the airflowamount detected by the airflow amount detecting means, and to notify theclogging of the filter by the notifying means.

According to such configuration, when it is assumed that the filter isclogged due to a decrease in the airflow amount detected by the airflowamount detecting means, the medicine under the transferring operation iscertainly transferred to the main storage part and at the same time, theclogging of the filter is immediately notified, thereby urging users totake suitable measures.

Further, according to the medicine dispensing device one embodiment, thetransfer device may include a forward pipe line in communication withthe sub storage part and configured to be connected to the main storagepart; an airflow producing means configured to produce an air flowwithin the forward pipe line from the sub unit toward the main unit; anda delivery part connected to the forward pipe line and configured toreceive and dispense the medicine transferred from the sub unit throughthe forward pipe line at the main unit. The delivery part may include adelivery container, to which the forward pipe line is connected, and ashutter. The delivery container may include an internal space, which isconfigured such that the medicine transferred through the forward pipeline freely falls therein, and a dispensing opening disposed at a bottomthereof to dispense the medicine. The shutter may be configured to bechanged between a dispensing-allowed state where the medicine is allowedto be dispensed from the dispensing opening, and a dispensing-unallowedstate.

In the medicine dispensing device of the present invention, the medicinedispensed from the sub storage part is transferred to the main storagepart by having the shutter be in the dispensing-unallowed state wherethe medicine is not dispensed and by operating the airflow producingmeans. Thereby, the medicine transferred to the main unit is firstreceived in the delivering part, and thereafter the medicine can bedispensed from the delivering part by converting the shutter. Thus, amedicine dispensing system may be constructed, wherein the medicinestored in the sub storage part can be dispensed in the main unit, byemploying the medicine dispensing device as the sub unit and combiningsuch a sub unit with the main unit.

In the above-described medicine dispensing device, it is preferred thatthe delivery container may include an exhaust hole for exhausting anairflow flowing in through the forward pipe line and the exhaust holemay be positioned downwardly of a connection position between thedelivery container and the forward pipe line.

According to such configuration, the airflow flowing into the deliverycontainer through the forward pipe line is allowed to flow downwardly.Also, the medicine introduced into the delivery container through theforward pipe line can drop smoothly along with the airflow.

In the above-described medicine dispensing device, the deliverycontainer may include a side portion (A) connected to the forward pipeline; and a pair of opposed side portions (B, C) crossing to the sideportions. The exhaust hole may be provided at each of the pair of theside portions (B, C).

Where the medicine dispensing device is configured as such, the airflowflowing into the delivery container through the forward pipe line isallowed to bifurcately flow to the exhaust holes provided at the sideportions (B, C). Thus, the medicine can drop more smoothly within thedelivery container.

In the above-described medicine dispensing device, it is preferred thata buffer means configured to buffer an impact caused by the collision ofthe medicine may be provided within the delivery container. It ispreferred that the forward pipe line may be connected to a side portionof the delivery container, and that the buffer means may be disposedopposite to the side portion to which the forward pipe line isconnected.

Where the medicine dispensing device is configured as such, when themedicine is introduced into the delivery container from the forward pipeline to the extent that it collides against the buffer means, the impactexerted to the medicine due to collision can be decreased and themedicine can be prevented from breaking or chipping.

In the medicine dispensing device of some embodiments, the shutter maybe configured to change an inclination thereof within an internal spaceof the delivery container. The shutter may become into thedispensing-unallowed state where the medicine is not dispensed from thedispensing opening when the shutter is situated to obliquely traversethe internal space of the delivery container. And, the shutter maybecome into the dispensing-allowed state where the medicine is dispensedfrom the dispensing opening by changing the inclination of the shutterfrom the dispensing-unallowed state.

Where the medicine dispensing device is configured as such, since theshutter is inclined within the delivery container in thedispensing-unallowed state where the medicine is not dispensed from thedispensing opening, a dropping distance of the medicine within thedelivery container can be shortened. Further, the medicine can be guidedto the bottom side along the shutter. Thus, according to suchconfiguration, the impact exerted on the medicine due to dropping of themedicine within the delivery container can be minimized.

The delivery container, which the medicine dispensing device of thepresent invention employs, may be configured to be divided into two ormore sub container bodies.

Where the medicine dispensing device is configured as such, since thedelivery container is divided into each sub container body, cleaning theinside of the delivery container and maintenance thereof can be easilyperformed.

In the above-described medicine dispensing device, the delivery part mayfurther include an outer container, in which the delivery container maybe disposed. The delivery container may include an exhausting part forexhausting an airflow exhausted from the delivery container into theouter container outwardly of the outer container.

According to such configuration, the airflow exhausted from the deliverypart into the outer container can be exhausted through the exhaustingpart outwardly of the outer container. Thus, according to suchconfiguration, the airflow produced concomitantly with transferring themedicine can be exhausted through the exhausting part. Also, it ispossible to prevent dust from blowing under the influence caused by theexhausted airflow.

In the above-described medicine dispensing device, the exhausting partmay preferably include a primary filter; and a secondary filter disposeddownstream of the primary filter in an exhaust flow direction, thesecondary filter having meshes finer than the primary filter.

According to such configuration, when the dust is contained in theairflow exhausted from the delivering part to the outer container, suchdust can be prevented from leaking outwardly of the outer container.Further, as described above, the primary filter with sparse meshes isdisposed upstream of the secondary filter with fine meshes in theexhaust flow direction, thereby enlarging a service life of thesecondary filter with fine meshes.

In the above-described medicine dispensing device, the deliverycontainer and the forward pipe line may be connected to each other via aflexible joint pipe.

According to such configuration, when some stress acts on the forwardpipe line, such stress is absorbed or mitigated through the joint pipeconstituting a joint portion between the delivering part and the forwardpipe line, thereby preventing the joint portion between the deliveringpart and the forward pipe line from being broken.

In the above-described medicine dispensing device, it is preferred thatthe shutter may go into the dispensing-allowed state and the airflowproducing means may be operated until a transfer operation of a medicinefrom the sub unit to the main unit is completed and a next transferoperation is done thereafter, thereby performing a sweeping operationfor sweeping a medicine transfer passage formed in the transfer device.

According to such configuration, the medicine transfer passage formed inthe transfer device can be maintained cleanly with ease.

Further, in an alternate embodiment a medicine dispensing device isprovided, which is configured to rapidly and reliably detect abnormalityin packing paper sheet transfer in a packing paper sheet conveying part,and a medicine dispensing system including the same. Further, a medicinedispensing device and a medicine dispensing system is provided, whichare configured to obtain a packed medicine at a desired position in apacking part.

In one embodiment a medicine dispensing device includes a storage partconfigured to store and dispense a medicine; a packing part configuredto pack the medicine dispensed from the storage part into a packingpaper sheet; and a packing paper sheet conveying part configured toconvey a packing paper sheet into which the medicine is packed by thepacking part. The packing paper sheet conveying part includes a packingpaper sheet conveying means configured to convey the packing paper sheetalong a predetermined conveyance path through contact with the packingpaper sheet; and a detecting means configured to contact the packingpaper sheet passing through the transfer path and operate independentlyof the packing paper sheet conveying means. It is detected upon acondition of not operating of the detecting means during operation ofthe packing paper sheet conveying means whether abnormality intransferring a packing paper sheet occurs.

The medicine dispensing device of the second present invention includes,at the packing paper sheet conveying part, the detecting meanscontacting the packing paper sheet and operating independently of thepacking paper sheet conveying means. The medicine dispensing device candetect whether or not the packing paper sheet transfer is normal by thedetecting means. Further, the medicine dispensing device of the presentinvention can rapidly and precisely detect an abnormality in the packingpaper sheet transfer. Thus, the medicine dispensing device can performappropriate measures such as stopping the packing paper sheet transfer,or stopping to dispense medicines to the packing paper sheet. It ispossible to minimize the amount of the packing paper sheet or themedicine, which become unnecessary when there is an abnormality in thepacking paper sheet transfer.

Further, another embodiment is configured to rapidly and preciselyperform an analysis to prevent the occurrence of wasted packing papersheets, and a medicine dispensing system including the same.

Further the detecting means may include a roller independently rotatableof the packing paper sheet conveying means; and a rotation detectingmeans configured to detect a rotation of the roller.

According to such configuration, there can be provided a medicinedispensing device which can detect an abnormality in packing paper sheettransfer based on whether the rotation of the roller is detected by therotation detecting means.

Further, the packing paper sheet conveying part may be configured tobend the conveyance path of the packing paper sheet.

According to such configuration, there can be provided a medicinedispensing device, which can remove the medicine packed in the packingpart at a desired position by appropriately bending the conveyance pathin the packing paper sheet conveying part.

In the medicine dispensing device according to the above-describedembodiment, in order to rapidly detect the abnormality in packing papersheet transfer, an abnormality in packing paper sheet transfer can bedetected in a position as far upstream as possible in a conveyancedirection of the packing paper sheet where the occurrence of theabnormality in packing paper sheet transfer can be accurately detected.Specifically, the abnormality in packing paper sheet transfer can bedetected in a position as far upstream as possible in the conveyancedirection of the packing paper sheet where a conveyance force acts onthe packing paper sheet.

Thus, the detecting means may be situated upstream in the conveyancedirection of the packing paper sheet in the packing paper sheetconveying means.

According to such configuration, there can be provided a medicinedispensing device, which can rapidly and accurately grasp an abnormalityin packing paper sheet transfer when it occurs.

Further, the packing paper sheet conveying part may include a packingpart for packing medicine. The packing paper sheet conveying means maybe provided downstream in the conveyance direction of the packing papersheet relative to the packing part. The packing paper sheet conveyingmeans may include a receiving part receiving a packing paper sheetconveyed from the packing part; and a conveying part downstream of theconveying of the packing paper sheet received in the receiving part. Thedetecting means may be disposed near a boundary between the receivingpart and the conveying part.

In the medicine dispensing device, the receiving part receiving thepacking paper sheet is provided in the packing paper sheet conveyingmeans. In the conveying part, a conveyance force acts on the packingpaper sheet received in the receiving part to convey the packing papersheet. Thus, where the detecting means is disposed near the boundarybetween the receiving part and the conveying part, similar to themedicine dispensing device of the present invention, an abnormality inpacking paper sheet transfer can be rapidly and accurately detected.

Further, there is provided a medicine dispensing system including a mainunit; one or more sub units; and a transfer device configured to connectthe main unit and the sub units. The main unit includes theabove-described medicine dispensing device. The sub unit includes a substorage part configured to store and dispense a plurality kinds ofmedicines. The transfer device transfers the medicine dispensed from thesub storage part toward the main unit. The packing part of the main unitpacks and dispenses the medicine.

The medicine dispensing system may include the main unit and the subunit. It is configured such that the medicine dispensed from the substorage part provided in the sub unit is transferred to the main unitthrough the transfer device and is packed and dispensed together withthe medicine dispensed in the main unit. However, when the packing papersheet conveying part provided in the main unit cannot rapidly andaccurately detect an abnormality in packing paper sheet transfer, themedicine dispensed in the main unit as well as the medicine dispensed inthe sub unit are not allowed to be properly packed. As a result, whenthe medicines dispensed from both the main unit and the sub unit areallowed to be packed together as described in the medicine dispensingsystem of the present invention, not detecting the abnormality inpacking paper sheet transfer rapidly and accurately raises problems inthat the wasted amount of the packing paper sheet and the medicinebecomes excessive.

Thus, a medicine dispensing device in some embodiments may be employedas the main unit. Thus, when an abnormality in packing paper sheettransfer is detected in the main unit, such abnormality can be rapidlyand accurately detected. Further, an abnormality in packing paper sheettransfer can be detected rapidly and accurately in some embodiments, themedicine dispensing device can perform appropriate measures such asstopping the packing paper sheet transfer, or stopping to dispensemedicines to the packing paper sheet in case of the occurrence of anabnormality in packing paper sheet transfer. Thus, the wasted amount ofthe packing paper sheet and the medicine can be minimized.

There can be provided in other embodiments, a medicine dispensingdevice, which is configured to rapidly and reliably detect anabnormality in packing paper sheet transfer in a packing paper sheetconveying part, and the medicine dispensing system including the same.Further, there can be provided a medicine dispensing device and amedicine dispensing system, which are configured to remove a medicinepacked in the packing part at a desired position.

Next, another embodiment will be explained hereinafter. There exists inthe art a medicine dispensing device as disclosed in the below-mentionedreference Patent Document 3. A prior art medicine dispensing device hasa medicine dispensing means. Such a prior art medicine dispensing deviceis configured to pack medicines dispensed from the medicine dispensingmeans according to prescriptions into a packing paper sheet at a packingmeans. Further, as disclosed in Patent Document 3, the prior artmedicine dispensing device includes a printing means and is configuredto print necessary information such as contents of the packed medicineon the packing paper sheet through the printing means. (see PatentDocument 3: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2006-130307).

In a packing work performed by the prior art medicine dispensing devicedisclosed in the Patent Document 3, pharmacists monitor whethermedicines to be fed to the packing part and to be packed therein areaccurately packed. The prior art medicine dispensing device disclosed inthe Patent Document 3 is configured to assume that the medicines to bepacked are fed to the packing part at a time when the medicines to befed to the packing part and to be packed therein are ready and then toperform a printing operation to a packing paper sheet through theprinting means. Thus, in the packing work performed by the prior artmedicine dispensing device disclosed in the Patent Document 3, it cannotbe judged by looking over the information printed on the packing papersheet whether the medicines to be packed are accurately packed. Thus, ithas a problem in that the examination work becomes complicated. Further,it has another problem in that the packing paper sheet, to which theprinting operation is performed after the medicines are already packed,appears to be under a normally packed state. Further, in the prior artmedicine dispensing device, even if the medicines to be packed are notready due to an abnormality in feeding medicines to the packing part,the printing operation is performed to a packing paper sheet, therebywasting the packing paper sheet.

Thus, in one embodiment a medicine dispensing device, which isconfigured to rapidly and precisely perform an examination work and toprevent the occurrence of wasted packing paper sheets, and a medicinedispensing system including the same.

In one embodiment a medicine dispensing device includes a medicinedispensing means configured to dispense medicine according to aprescription; a medicine preparing means configured to receive amedicine dispensed from the medicine dispensing means and to dispensethe same at a predetermined time; a packing means configured to packmedicine dispensed from the medicine preparing means into a packingpaper sheet; a packing paper sheet feeding means configured to feed apacking paper sheet to the packing means; and a printing meansconfigured to print predetermined information on a packing paper sheetfed from the packing paper sheet feeding means to the packing means. Theprinting means is disposed upstream of the packing means in a flowdirection of the packing paper sheet fed by the packing paper sheetfeeding means. The length of the path, through which a packing papersheet passes between the printing means and the packing means, is ntimes the length of a packing paper sheet necessary for packing medicinefor a single pack. The medicine preparing means includes a plurality ofsections configured to gather the medicine dispensed from the medicinedispensing means for one pack respectively and is configured to dispensethe medicines gathered in the plurality of sections in predeterminedorder. The printing means prints information corresponding to a sectionA of the plurality of sections on the packing paper sheet at a timingearlier, by a time period necessary for dispensing a medicine for asection n from the medicine preparing means, than a timing of dispensinga medicine gathered in the section A.

In another embodiment, the length of the path, through which the packingpaper sheet passes between the printing means and the packing means, isset n times of the length of the packing paper sheet necessary forpacking a medicine for one pack. Further, the medicine preparing means,which the medicine dispensing device of the present invention includes,includes a plurality of sections and is configured to dispense themedicine gathered in each of the sections in a predetermined order.Thus, in the medicine dispensing device of one embodiment, the medicinedispensed from the section A is packed into the packing paper sheet,which the printing means prints at a timing earlier, by a time periodnecessary for dispensing a medicine for the section n (i.e., equal to npacks) from the medicine preparing means toward the packing means, thana timing of dispensing a medicine gathered in the section A. That is, inthe medicine dispensing device of this embodiment, a medicine to bepacked is supplied to the section A at a timing prior to performing theprint operation corresponding to the section A to the packing papersheet. Further, a timing when the medicine gathered in the section A isdispensed to the packing part and a timing when a section of a packingpaper sheet with the information corresponding to the section A printedthereon reaches the packing part coincide. Thus, the medicine dispensingdevice in some embodiments performs printing to a packing paper sheetupon a condition that a medicine to be packed is supplied to the sectionA. Further, it can easily monitor whether or not a medicine to be packedis exactly supplied and resolve the problem of wasted packing papersheets resulting from abnormality in feeding a medicine.

Further, in the above-described medicine dispensing device, a printingoperation to the packing paper sheet may be performed by the printingmeans upon a condition that the medicine is fed into section A up to atime earlier by the time period necessary for dispensing a medicine forthe section n from the medicine preparing means than the time ofdispensing a medicine gathered in the section A of the plurality ofsections in the medicine preparing means.

Further, in the above-described medicine dispensing device, the medicineis dispensed from the medicine dispensing means to section A at a timeearlier by a time period more than the time period necessary fordispensing a medicine for the section n from the medicine preparingmeans than the time of dispensing a medicine gathered in section A inthe medicine preparing means. Thus, the information corresponding tosection A is printed on the packing paper sheet after the medicine isfed into section A. Thus, the medicine dispensing device can easilymonitor whether or not a medicine to be packed is accurately packed andresolve the waste of a packing paper sheet resulting from an abnormalityin feeding a medicine.

Further a medicine dispensing device includes a medicine dispensingmeans configured to dispense a medicine according to a prescription; amedicine preparing means configured to receive a medicine dispensed fromthe medicine dispensing means and to dispense the same at apredetermined time; a packing means configured to pack a medicinedispensed from the medicine preparing means into a packing paper sheet;a packing paper sheet feeding means configured to feed a packing papersheet to the packing means; and a printing means configured to printpredetermined information on a packing paper sheet fed from the packingpaper sheet feeding means to the packing means. The printing means isdisposed upstream of the packing means in a flow direction of thepacking paper sheet fed by the packing paper sheet feeding means. Themedicine preparing means includes a plurality of sections configured togather the medicine for one pack dispensed from the medicine dispensingmeans respectively. The medicine preparing means is configured todispense the medicines gathered in the plurality of sections in apredetermined order. A medicine is dispensed from the medicinedispensing means into one section A of the plurality of sections at atime earlier by a timing Z as early as a time period Y when the packingpaper sheet fed by the packing paper sheet feeding means moves from aposition corresponding to the printing means to the packing means, thana timing X when the medicine in the section A is dispensed from themedicine dispensing means toward the packing means. Informationcorresponding to section A is printed on the packing paper sheet at thetime Z by the printing means.

In the above-described medicine dispensing device, medicine is fed intosection A of the medicine preparing means at a time earlier than thetime Z. Further, the information corresponding to section A is printedon the packing paper sheet by the printing means at the time Z as earlyas the time period Y when the packing paper sheet fed by the packingpaper sheet feeding means moves from the position corresponding to theprinting means to the packing means, from the timing X when the medicinein section A is dispensed from the medicine dispensing means toward thepacking means. That is, the information corresponding to section A isprinted on a portion of the packing paper sheet, which is used forpacking the medicine in section A, at the same time as, or later than atime for feeding the medicine into section A. Thus, the medicinedispensing device can perform the printing operation to the medicinedispensing device after ascertaining that the medicine to be packed isexactly fed into the section. Further, the medicine dispensing devicecan easily monitor whether or not the medicine to be packed is exactlyfed and resolve the waste of a packing paper sheet resulting from anabnormality in feeding a medicine.

Further, the printing operation to the packing paper sheet may beperformed upon a condition that the medicine is fed into section A at atime earlier than the time Z.

With such configuration, if the printing operation to the packing papersheet is not performed, it can be judged that the medicine is not fedexactly before the time Z. Thus, examining whether or not the medicineis exactly packed can become easy. Further, according to suchconfiguration, if the medicine is not fed into the section A before thetime Z, the printing operation to the packing paper sheet stops, therebypreventing the occurrence of the wasted packing paper sheet in advance.

Further, a print purporting that the medicine to be packed runs shortmay be made on the packing paper sheet by the printing means upon acondition that the medicine to be packed is not inputted to section Auntil the time earlier than the time Z.

According to such configuration, it is ascertained through only lookingover the print made on the packing paper sheet that the medicine to bepacked runs short. Thus, the examination work can be performed moreeasily and reliably.

Further, in the above-described medicine dispensing device, the medicinepreparing means may include a section forming body having a plurality ofsections arranged circumferentially; and a dispensing opening. Thesection forming body may be configured to move relative to thedispensing opening. When the section reaches a position corresponding tothe dispensing opening, the medicine gathered in the section may bedisposed through the dispensing opening.

Further, a medicine dispensing device comprises: a medicine dispensingmeans configured to dispense a medicine according to a prescription; amedicine preparing means configured to receive a medicine dispensed fromthe medicine dispensing means and to dispense the same at apredetermined time; a packing means configured to pack a medicinedispensed from the medicine preparing means into a packing paper sheet;a packing paper sheet feeding means configured to feed a packing papersheet to the packing means; and a printing means configured to print apredetermined information on a packing paper sheet fed from the packingpaper sheet feeding means to the packing means. The printing means isdisposed upstream of the packing means in a flow direction of thepacking paper sheet fed by the packing paper sheet feeding means. Themedicine preparing means comprises: a rotatable section forming body; anopening for dispensing a medicine from the medicine preparing means; anda hole to which the medicine dispensed from the medicine dispensingmeans is inputted. The section forming body includes a plurality ofsections in a circumferential direction. The section is configured togather a medicine for one pack. When the section forming body rotatesand each of the sections reaches a position corresponding to the hole,the medicine is inputted to the section through the hole. When thesection forming body rotates and each of the sections reaches a positioncorresponding to the opening, the medicine in the section is dispensed.The hole is formed in a position upstream of the opening in a rotatingdirection of the section forming body.

In the above-described medicine dispensing device, a length of a path,through which a packing paper sheet passes between the printing meansand the packing means, is n times of a length of a packing paper sheetnecessary for packing a medicine for one pack. The hole is formed in aposition upstream of the opening by more than n sections in the rotatingdirection of the section forming body.

Further, the medicine dispensing means capable of dispensing a medicineaccording to a prescription includes: a main storage part; a manualdistributing unit; a collecting hopper for feeding a medicine dispensedfrom the main storage part; and a manual distributing hopper for feedinga medicine dispensed from the manual distributing unit. The hole towhich the medicine dispensed from the medicine dispensing means isinputted comprises: a hole for connection to the collecting hopper and ahole for connection to the manual distributing hopper. The hole forconnection to the collecting hopper and the hole for connection to themanual distributing hopper are apart from each other in thecircumferential direction. The hole for connection to the collectinghopper and the hole for connection to the manual distributing hopper areformed in a position upstream of the opening for dispensing a medicinefrom the medicine preparing means by more than n sections in therotating direction of the section forming body.

Further, the medicine preparing means comprises: a shutter provided ineach of the sections of the medicine preparing means; a dispensingopening for dispensing a medicine from the medicine dispensing means;and a contactor provided near the opening. When each of the sectionsreaches a position corresponding to the dispensing opening, the shutterprovided in each of the sections is pressed by contact to the contactorand then opened, thereby dispensing the medicine in each of thesections.

Further, the above-described medicine dispensing device furthercomprises a medicine standby part provided between the medicinepreparing means and the medicine dispensing means. The medicine standbypart includes: a funnel-shaped standby hopper; a movable lid; and a lidmoving mechanism. The movable lid moves upward and downward by anoperation of the lid moving mechanism to open and close a dischargingopening formed in the standby hopper.

Further, there is provided a medicine dispensing system that includes amain unit; one or more sub units; and a transfer device configured toconnect the main unit and the sub units. The main unit includes theabove-described medicine dispensing device. The sub unit includes a substorage part configured to store and dispense a plurality kinds ofmedicines. The transfer device transfers the medicine dispensed from thesub storage part toward the main unit and feeds the medicine into thesection provided in the medicine preparing means. The packing means ofthe main unit packs and dispenses the medicine.

The medicine dispensing system includes the main unit and the sub unit.It is configured such that the medicine dispensed in the sub unit istransferred to the medicine preparing means provided in the main unitand is packed and dispensed together with the medicine dispensed in themain unit by the packing means. However, in the medicine dispensingsystem, there is a possibility that an abnormality in dispensingmedicine to the medicine preparing means occurs in the main unit. Inaddition, there is another possibility that an abnormality in dispensingmedicine occurs in the sub unit, and that troubles take place duringtransferring a medicine to the medicine preparing means through thetransfer device. As such, where the main unit is provided, the medicinedispensing system may have many factors associated with the abnormalityin dispensing medicine to the medicine preparing means. Accordingly,similar to the above-described medicine dispensing device of the presentinvention, it is preferred that the above-described medicine dispensingsystem may have some means so that it can easily monitor whether apacking operation is accurately performed and prevent the packing papersheet from wasting concomitantly with the abnormality in dispensing amedicine to the medicine preparing means.

Thus, the medicine dispensing system, which is provided based on suchknowledge, employs the above-described medicine dispensing device as themain unit. Thus, the medicine dispensing system can prevent the packingpaper sheet from being wasting in conjunction with an abnormality indispensing a medicine to the medicine preparing means.

According to another embodiment, there can be provided a medicinedispensing device, which is configured to easily and accurately performthe examination work regarding whether or not packing medicine isaccurately performed and to prevent the packing paper sheet from wastingeven if the medicine to be dispensed becomes unready due to anabnormality in feeding a medicine to the packing part. Further, therecan be provided a medicine dispensing system that includes such amedicine dispensing device.

Further, in the above-described medicine dispensing system, the medicinepreparing means of the main unit includes: a rotatable section formingbody; an opening for dispensing a medicine from the medicine preparingmeans; and a hole to which the medicine dispensed from the medicinedispensing means is inputted. The section forming body includes aplurality of sections in a circumferential direction, the section beingconfigured to gather a medicine for one pack. When the section formingbody rotates and each of the sections reaches a position correspondingto the hole, the medicine is inputted to the section through the hole.When the section forming body rotates and each of the sections reaches aposition corresponding to the opening, the medicine in the section isdispensed. The main unit has a main storage part and a manualdistributing unit as the medicine dispensing means configured todispense a medicine according to a prescription and the main unitcomprises a collecting hopper for feeding a medicine dispensed from themain storage part and a sub collecting hopper for feeding a medicinedispensed from the sub storage part. The medicine preparing meanscomprises a hole for connection to the collecting hopper and a hole forconnection to the sub collecting hopper at a position corresponding toeach of the sections of the section forming body, the hole forconnection to the collecting hopper and the hole for connection to thesub collecting hopper being apart from each other in the circumferentialdirection. The medicines fed by the collecting hopper and the subcollecting hopper are inputted to each of the sections through theholes. The hole for connection to the collecting hopper and the hole forconnection to the sub collecting hopper are formed in a positionupstream of the opening for dispensing a medicine from the medicinepreparing means in the rotating direction of the section forming body.

Further, a length of a path, through which a packing paper sheet passesbetween the printing means and the packing means provided in the mainunit, is n times of a length of a packing paper sheet necessary forpacking a medicine for one pack. The hole is formed in a positionupstream of the opening by more than n sections in the rotatingdirection of the section forming body.

Next, another embodiment will be explained hereinafter. There exists inthe art a medicine dispensing device as disclosed in the below-mentionedreference Patent Document 4. A prior art medicine dispensing deviceincludes a plurality of medicine feeding containers configured to storemedicine in a storage part and dispense the medicine. Such a prior artmedicine dispensing device is configured to dispense the medicine fromeach of the medicine feeding container by the amount corresponding to aprescription and pack the same. (see Patent Document 4: JapaneseLaid-Open Patent Application No. 2001-276183).

The prior art medicine dispensing device is used in such a manner thateach of the medicine feeding containers accommodates different kinds ofmedicines. However, the prior art medicine dispensing device is notconfigured to simply and accurately grasp characteristic data of eachmedicine feeding container, such as a date and time when the medicinefeeding container is filled with medicines, a user filling the medicinefeeding container, data related to medicines accommodated in themedicine feeding container, etc. Further, as the number of the medicinefeeding containers increases with an increase in the kinds of medicinesto be dealt with, such a tendency becomes strong. Thus, the relevant artrequires a medicine dispensing device configured to simply andaccurately grasp characteristic data of each medicine feeding container.Similarly, a medicine dispensing system, which is constructed bycombining a plurality of medicine dispensing devices, is required to beconfigured to simply and accurately grasp characteristic data of eachmedicine feeding container.

Thus, to satisfy the aforementioned demand, it is an object of thepresent invention to provide a medicine dispensing device and a medicinedispensing system, which are configured to simply and accurately graspcharacteristic data of each medicine feeding container.

In order to accomplish the above objects, there is provided a medicinedispensing device, which includes a medicine feeding containerconfigured to store a medicine, the medicine feeding container includingan information recordable medium; a container mounting part configuredto mount the medicine feeding container; and a control means. Themedicine is allowed to be dispensed by mounting the medicine feedingcontainer to the container mounting part. The control means isconfigured to perform a data communication for a characteristic data ofthe medicine feeding container with the information recordable medium ofthe medicine feeding container.

According to such configuration, there is provided the medicinedispensing device, which can perform the data communication for thecharacteristic data between the control means and the medicine feedingcontainer having the information recordable medium and can simply andaccurately grasp the characteristic data.

Further, a medicine dispensing device, which is provided based on thesame knowledge, may include a storage means configured to store anddispense medicine; and a control means configured to data-communicatewith an information recordable medium. The storage means may include aplurality of attachable/detachable medicine feeding containersconfigured to store and dispense the medicine. The informationrecordable medium may be provided in some or all of the medicine feedingcontainers. A data communication for the characteristic data of themedicine feeding container may be performed between the informationrecordable medium of the medicine feeding container and the controlmeans.

The above-described medicine dispensing device includes a storage meansconfigured to store and dispense medicine; and a control meansconfigured to data-communicate with the information recordable medium.Herein, the storage means includes a shelf or drum, in which a pluralityof medicine feeding container are removably provided (for example, thismay be referred to as a main storage part or a sub storage part inembodiments described below). Further, in the medicine dispensingdevice, a plurality of medicine feeding containers configured to storeand dispense a medicine are removably provided in the storage means,which includes a shelf or drum. Herein, the medicine feeding containercorresponds to a feeder container in the below-described embodiments anda container capable of dispensing the medicine accommodated therein. Theabove-described storage means, which includes the medicine feedingcontainer, can dispense the medicine dispensed from the medicine feedingcontainer for the purpose of packing the same.

With the above-described constitution, there can be provided a medicinedispensing device, which can data communicate with the control meanswith respect to the characteristic data of each of the medicine feedingcontainers with the information recordable medium and thus can simplyand accurately grasp the characteristic data.

Further, the control means may be configured to data communicate with anoperator information recordable medium recording an operator informationspecifying an operator. The operator information read from the operatorinformation recordable medium through the data communication may berecorded into the information recordable medium.

According to such constitution, information on an operator, who performstasks relevant to the medicine feeding container, such as filling themedicine feeding container with medicines, may be recorded into theinformation recordable medium of each of the medicine feedingcontainers.

Further, the medicine dispensing device may be configured to operate ina plurality of operation modes. The operation mode may change in apredetermined operation mode selected from a plurality of operationmodes upon a condition that the data communication is allowed betweenthe control means and the information recordable medium of the medicinefeeding container removed from a container mounting part.

In the medicine dispensing device, the operation mode changes upon acondition that the data communication is allowed between the controlmeans and the information recordable medium of the medicine feedingcontainer. That is, it can be used as a trigger for changing theoperation modes that the information recordable medium provided in eachof medicine feeding container is allowed to data communicate with thecontrol means. Thus, efforts required to change the operation modes canbe minimized and misoperation can be prevented.

Further, the medicine dispensing device may include a mark reading meansfor reading an identification mark assigned to each of the kinds ofmedicine. The kinds of medicine may be specified by the control meansbased on the identification mark read by the mark reading means.Information on the kinds of medicine may be recorded into theinformation recordable medium through data communication between thecontrol means and the information recordable medium of the medicinefeeding container removed from the container mounting part.

According to such configuration, if the mark reading means reads theidentification mark assigned to each of the kinds of medicine whenfilling the medicine feeding container removed from the containermounting part with a medicine, the information on the kind of such amedicine can be recorded into the information recordable medium of themedicine feeding container through data communication. Thus, accordingto the medicine dispensing device of one embodiment, when the medicinefeeding container is filled with a medicine, the information on thekinds of medicine can be easily and reliably recorded into theinformation recordable medium.

The medicine dispensing device according to this embodiment may furtherinclude a cassette placing part configured to place the medicine feedingcontainer removed from the container mounting part; and an interfacemeans wiredly or wirelessly connected to the control means. When themedicine feeding container is placed on the cassette placing part, thedata communication between the information recordable medium of themedicine feeding container and the control means may be allowed via theinterface means.

According to such configuration, efforts required to enable the datacommunication between the information recordable medium and the controlmeans after removing the medicine feeding container from the containermounting part can be minimally saved.

Further, the medicine dispensing device may further include an interfacemeans wiredly or wirelessly connected to the control means. Theinterface means may be configured to read and record data as not incontact with the information recordable medium.

According to such configuration, efforts required to enable the datacommunication between the information recordable medium and the controlmeans after removing the medicine feeding container from the containermounting part can be saved.

The above-described medicine dispensing device can data-communicate withthe information recordable medium of each of the medicine feedingcontainers with respect to the characteristic data of the medicinefeeding container. Thus, the medicine dispensing device can beconfigured to dispense medicines for purposes of packing the same evenif the medicine feeding container accommodating a predetermined medicineis situated at any location in the storage means. However, some medicineof the plurality kinds of medicines is prone to bound, roll over, breakor chip due to drop impact at a dispensing portion while dispensed fromthe medicine feeding container. In case of dealing with such a medicine,it must be dealt with in a different manner from those for othermedicines (for example, adjustment in dispensing timing regarding boundor roll, means for mitigating drop impact, etc.) so as not to cause anabnormality in dispensing medicine. Accordingly, the medicine feedingcontainer accommodating medicine having such a particularcharacteristics is attached to a location capable of resolving theforegoing matter.

Further, medicines may be sequentially dispensed based on prescriptiondata inputted to the control means and a plurality of the containermounting parts configured to mount the medicine feeding container may beprovided. The control means may include: a correspondence relationshipstoring part regulating and storing a correspondence relationshipbetween the plurality of the container mounting parts and the medicinefeeding container to be attached to the plurality of container mountingparts; and a judging part. The judging part may be configured to performan error judgment operation for judging the following states, bycomparing the correspondence relation storing part and thecharacteristic data of the medicine feeding container obtained from thedata communication with the information recordable medium of themedicine feeding container mounted on the container mounting part: aright mount state where the medicine feeding container is properlymounted on the container mount part coinciding with the correspondencerelationship regulated in the correspondence relationship storing part;and a erroneous mount state where the medicine feeding container iserroneously mounted on the container mounting part against thecorrespondence relationship regulated in the correspondence relationshipstoring part. Dispensing the medicines may continue from other medicinefeeding containers excluding an erroneously-mounted medicine feedingcontainer upon a condition that it is judged by the error judgmentoperation that there is the erroneously mounted medicine feedingcontainer, and that a medicine accommodated in the erroneously mountedmedicine feeding container is not a medicine to be dispensed accordingto the prescription data. Dispensing the medicines may stop upon acondition that it is judged by the error judgment operation that thereis the erroneously mounted medicine feeding container, and that amedicine accommodated in the erroneously mounted medicine feedingcontainer is a medicine to be dispensed according to the prescriptiondata.

In the medicine dispensing device configured as such, the judging partof the control means performs the error judgment operation. Based on thecorrespondence relationship between the container mounting part and themedicine feeding container, which is regulated in the correspondencerelationship storing part, it can be judged whether the medicine feedingcontainer is properly mounted or erroneously mounted on the containermounting part dedicated for said medicine feeding container. Further, inthe medicine dispensing device of the present invention, where themedicine feeding container is erroneously mounted and such a medicinefeeding container does not accommodate a medicine to be dispensed, evenif dispensing a medicine does not stop in other medicine feedingcontainers, problems such as bound, roll, breakage, chipping, etc. ofmedicines do not occur. And, stopping to dispense a medicine leads toloss of work efficiency. Accordingly, in the medicine dispensing deviceof some embodiments, where the erroneously mounted medicine feedingcontainer does not accommodate a medicine to be dispensed, dispensing amedicine continues and the erroneously mounted medicine feedingcontainer can be dismounted without stopping to dispense a medicine.Accordingly, even if the erroneously mounted medicine feeding containerexists, the loss of work efficiency resulting therefrom can beminimized.

By contrast, where the erroneously mounted medicine feeding containerexists and such a medicine feeding container accommodates a medicine tobe dispensed, continuing to dispense a medicine causes theaforementioned problems such as bound, roll, breakage, chipping, etc. ofmedicines. Accordingly, in such a case, the medicine dispensing deviceof in some embodiments is configured to stop to dispense a medicine.Thus, according to the medicine dispensing device in some embodiments,it is possible to prevent medicines from being dispensed from theerroneously mounted medicine feeding container.

Further, it is preferred that medicines prone to bound, roll over, breakor chip due to drop impact at the dispensing portion are dispensed at aside as low as possible.

Thus, in the above-described medicine dispensing device provided basedon such knowledge, the storage means may include a plurality of thecontainer mounting parts configured to mount the medicine feedingcontainer. The container mounting parts may be vertically arranged. Itmay be judged through the error judgment operation whether a medicinefeeding container to be mounted on a container mounting part providedbelow a predetermined height is erroneously mounted on a containermounting part provided in a position above the predetermined height.

According to such configuration, it can be prevented that the medicinefeeding container accommodating the medicine to be dispensed at a sideas low as possible (i.e. the aforementioned medicine causing problemssuch as bound, roll, breakage or chipping concomitantly with drop) iserroneously mounted on the container mounting part situated in aposition above the predetermined height.

Further, the above-described medicine dispensing device provided basedon the same knowledge, the container mounting part configured to mountthe medicine feeding container may be disposed in each of a plurality ofcontainer mounting regions defined along a height direction. Thecorrespondence relationship storing part may regulate the correspondencerelationship between the container mounting part and the medicinefeeding container to be attached to the container mounting part as arelationship relative to the container mounting region located at aheight corresponding to an upper attachment limit of a medicine feedingcontainer that is determined according to a kind of medicine. Theerroneous mount state may be judged through the error judgment operationwhen a medicine feeding container is mounted on a container mountingpart of a container mounting region locating beyond a container mountingregion located at a height corresponding to the upper attachment limit.The right mount state may be judged through the error judgment operationwhen a medicine feeding container is mounted on a container mountingpart of a container mounting region located at a height below the upperattachment limit.

In the medicine dispensing device, the correspondence relationshipstoring part can regulate the correspondence relationship between thecontainer mounting regions and the height corresponding to the upperattachment limit of the medicine feeding container at a plurality ofsteps in view of that bound, roll, breakage or chipping occurs at whatlevel concomitantly with drop. Further, the erroneous mount state can bejudged through the error judgment operation based on such a regulation,when a medicine feeding container is mounted on a container mountingpart of a container mounting region located upward beyond a containermounting region located at a height corresponding to the upperattachment limit. Thus, it is possible to prevent the occurrence oftrouble such as an abnormality in dispensing a medicine resulting fromthe erroneous mount state.

Further, the control means may be configured to perform a searchoperation for searching and selecting a container mounting part, onwhich the medicine feeding container judged to be in the erroneous mountstate through the error judgment operation must be mounted.

According to such configuration, it can be easily determined through thesearch operation on which container mounting part the erroneouslymounted medicine feeding container must be mounted.

Further, a search condition may be determined based on thecharacteristic data of the medicine feeding container obtained by thedata communication with the information recordable medium, which themedicine feeding container judged to be in the erroneous mount statethrough the error judgment operation includes.

According to such configuration, even if an operator does not separatelyinput a search condition in the search operation, the container mountingpart on which the erroneously mounted medicine feeding container must bemounted can be selected. Thus, convenience in the search operation canbe enhanced.

In the above-described invention, the storage means may be configured tomove each of the container mounting parts to an attachment/detachmentwork position where an attachment/detachment work of the medicinefeeding container can be performed. The container mounting part selectedthrough the search operation may be moved to the attachment/detachmentwork position.

In such a medicine dispensing device, a container mounting part locatedat a proper position, in which the erroneously mounted medicine feedingcontainer must be properly attached, is moved to theattachment/detachment work position. Thus, convenience in attaching themedicine feeding container in the proper position can be enhanced.

Further, there is provided a medicine dispensing system that includes amain unit; one or more sub units; and a transfer device configured toconnect the main unit and the sub units. The main unit includes theabove-described medicine dispensing device. The sub unit includes a substorage means configured to store and dispense a plurality kinds ofmedicines. The sub storage means includes a plurality ofattachable/detachable medicine feeding containers configured to storeand dispense a medicine. The transfer device transfers the medicinedispensed from the sub storage means toward the main unit. The medicineis dispensed in the main unit.

Such a medicine dispensing system includes the main unit and the subunit. A plurality of medicine feeding containers are removably attachedto both the storage means of the main unit and the sub storage means ofthe sub unit. Accordingly, the medicine dispensing system has a largenumber of medicine feeding containers and thus needs to be configured toeven more easily and reliably control the characteristic data of each ofthe medicine feeding containers. Thus, the medicine dispensing system,which is provided based on such knowledge, includes the above-describedmedicine dispensing device as the main unit. As a result, the medicinedispensing system can simply and accurately grasp and control thecharacteristic data through the data communication between the controlmeans provided in the main unit and the information recordable medium ofeach of the medicine feeding containers provided in the main unit andthe sub unit.

Thus, there can be provided a medicine dispensing device and a medicinedispensing system, which are configured to simply and accurately graspthe characteristic data of each medicine feeding container.

According to another embodiment there can be provided a medicinedispensing system, which is configured such that a medicine dispensingdevice that includes a sub unit having a function of dispensingmedicines is connected to a medicine dispensing device that includes amain unit having a function of packing medicines. Further, there can beprovided a medicine dispensing device that can be appropriately employedto such a medicine dispensing system.

Also, according to other embodiments, there can be provided a medicinedispensing device, which is configured to rapidly and reliably detectabnormality in packing paper sheet transfer in a packing paper sheetconveying part, and a medicine dispensing system including the same.Further, there can be provided a medicine dispensing device and amedicine dispensing system, which are configured to remove a packedmedicine at a desired position in a packing part.

Further, there can be provided a medicine dispensing device, which isconfigured to rapidly and precisely perform an examination workregarding whether or not packing a medicine is accurately performed andto prevent occurrence of a wasted packing paper sheet even if a medicineto be dispensed becomes unready due to abnormality in feeding a medicineto a packing part. Further, there can be provided a medicine dispensingsystem comprising such a medicine dispensing device.

Furthermore, there can be provided a medicine dispensing device and amedicine dispensing system, which are configured to simply andaccurately grasp a characteristic data of each medicine feedingcontainer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a medicine dispensing systemaccording to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view schematically showing the internal structure ofthe medicine dispensing system shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a structure near a main storagepart of a main unit.

FIG. 4( a) is a partially enlarged perspective view showing a structureof a drum. FIG. 4( b) is a sectional view showing that a cassette isattached to the drum. FIG. 4( c) illustrates a positional relationshipbetween a main storage part and an irregular set detecting means.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a cassette.

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a feeder container.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a medicine awaiting mechanism part.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a mechanism part.

FIGS. 9( a) to 9(d) are side views sequentially showing a verticalmovement of a slide shaft.

FIG. 10( a) is a sectional view showing that a discharging opening ofthe medicine awaiting mechanism part is closed. FIG. 10( b) is asectional view showing that the discharging opening is open.

FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view showing a medicine preparingpart.

FIG. 12 is a top plan view showing the internal structure of themedicine preparing part.

FIGS. 13( a) to 13(f) are sectional views sequentially showing operatingprocesses of a shutter provided in a section forming body.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing structure near a medicinepreparing part and a medicine packing part of the main unit.

FIGS. 15( a) to 15(f) schematically illustrates that medicines are fedinto the section forming body.

FIG. 16 is a sectional view showing arrangement of a conveying means inthe main unit.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing the conveying means.

FIG. 18( a) is a sectional view showing that an abnormality detectingmechanism is attached to a transfer means. FIG. 18( b) is a section viewtaken along the ling A-A in FIG. 18( a). FIG. 18( c) is a view viewedalong an arrow B in FIG. 18( a).

FIG. 19( a) is a rear view of the conveying means. FIG. 19( b) is afront view of the conveying means.

FIG. 20( a) is a perspective view showing a work table. FIG. 20( b) is ablock diagram showing the features of a data management system.

FIG. 21( a) is a perspective view showing a transfer device viewed froma medicine dispensing part. FIG. 21( b) is a perspective view showingthe transfer device viewed from a medicine receiving part.

FIG. 22A is a front view showing an interface for calling a cassette.FIG. 22B is a front view showing an interface for calling a medicinename. FIGS. 22C and 22D are front views showing an interface fordisplaying a characteristic information of a container.

FIG. 23 is a sectional view showing the medicine dispensing part of thetransfer device shown in FIG. 21. FIG. 23( a) is a sectional viewshowing transferring a medicine. FIG. 23( b) is a sectional view showingdispensing a medicine.

FIG. 24 is a perspective view showing a counter device.

FIG. 25 is a perspective view showing a variation of the transferdevice. FIG. 25( a) is a perspective view showing that a medicinedelivering unit of a transfer device according to a variation isexpanded. FIG. 25( b) is a perspective view showing that the medicinedelivering unit is contracted.

FIG. 26 is an upper perspective view of the medicine delivering unit ofthe transfer device shown in FIG. 25.

FIG. 27 is a lower perspective view of the medicine delivering unit ofthe transfer device shown in FIG. 25.

FIG. 28 is a section view of the medicine delivering unit of thetransfer device shown in FIG. 25.

FIG. 29( a) is an upper perspective view of a sliding base of themedicine delivering unit of the transfer device shown in FIG. 25. FIG.29( b) is a lower perspective view of the sliding base.

FIG. 30( a) is an upper perspective view of a first sliding body of themedicine delivering unit of the transfer device shown in FIG. 25. FIG.30( b) is a lower perspective view of the first sliding body.

FIG. 31( a) is an upper perspective view of a second sliding body of themedicine delivering unit of the transfer device shown in FIG. 25. FIG.31( b) is a lower perspective view of the second sliding body.

FIG. 32 is a front view showing a further variation of a transferdevice.

FIG. 33 is a section view taken along the ling A-A in FIG. 32.

FIG. 34 is a front view showing one motion of the transfer device shownin FIG. 32.

FIG. 35 is a front view showing the other motion of the transfer deviceshown in FIG. 32.

FIG. 36 is a front view schematically showing major parts of theinternal structure of a medicine dispensing system including a transferdevice according to another variation.

FIG. 37 is a perspective view showing the features of a medicinedispensing part employed in the transfer device shown in FIG. 36. FIG.37( a) illustrates that an area A of a shutter is located in themedicine dispensing part. FIG. 37( b) illustrates that an area B of theshutter is not located in the medicine dispensing part.

FIG. 38 is a sectional view taken along the line X-X in FIG. 37( a).

FIG. 39 is a perspective view showing the shutter provided in themedicine dispensing part shown in FIG. 37.

FIG. 40( a) is a view taken along an arrow X in FIG. 39. FIG. 40( b) isa view taken along an arrow Y in FIG. 39.

FIG. 41 is a front view showing a variation of the medicine dispensingsystem shown in FIG. 36.

FIG. 42 is a perspective view showing yet another variation of atransfer device.

FIG. 43 schematically shows features of a transfer device shown in FIG.42.

FIG. 44 is an enlarged perspective view of a medicine dispensing part ofthe transfer device shown in FIG. 42 with a lid of an outer containerremoved therefrom.

FIG. 45 is a top plan view of the medicine dispensing part of thetransfer device shown in FIG. 42 with the lid of the outer containerremoved therefrom.

FIG. 46 is a sectional view showing the structure of the medicinedispensing part of the transfer device shown in FIG. 42 with a sideportion of a delivery container cut away.

FIG. 47 is a sectional view showing the structure of the medicinedispensing part of the transfer device shown in FIG. 42 with a topportion of the delivery container cut away.

FIG. 48 is a sectional view showing a medicine receiving part of thetransfer device shown in FIG. 42.

FIG. 49 is a perspective view showing the structure near a manualdistributing unit in a main unit of a medicine dispensing systemaccording to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 50 is a side view showing the structure near the manualdistributing unit in the main unit of the medicine dispensing systemaccording to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 51 is a perspective view schematically showing features of a mainstorage part and a sub storage part.

FIG. 52 is a block diagram showing a variation of a control means.

FIG. 53 is a flow chat showing an error judgment operation of a medicinedispensing system.

FIG. 54 is a flow chart showing operations of the medicine dispensingsystem.

FIG. 55 is a front view showing a display of a manipulating panel when afeeder container insertion error occurs.

FIG. 56 is a front view showing a display of the manipulating panel whena message for urging erroneous mount solution is emitted.

FIG. 57 is a front view showing a display of the manipulating panel whena feeder container mount error occurs.

FIG. 58 is a front view showing a display of a manipulating panel when afeeder container identification error occurs.

FIG. 59 is a front view showing a display of a manipulating panel when asearch condition is set.

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

-   -   1 . . . Medicine Dispensing System    -   2 . . . Main Unit (Medicine Dispensing Device)    -   3 . . . Sub Unit (Medicine Dispensing Device)    -   5 . . . Transfer Device    -   20 . . . Main Storage Part    -   120 . . . Sub Storage Part    -   140 . . . Pipe Line    -   141 . . . Suction means (Transfer Means)    -   210 . . . Transfer Device    -   231 . . . Medicine Delivering Unit (Medicine Delivering Part)    -   234 . . . Turning Shaft    -   300 . . . Transfer Device    -   312 . . . Drive Unit (Direction Adjusting Means)    -   330 . . . Turning Part (Conveying Part)    -   340 . . . Medicine Container (Medicine Delivery container)    -   400 . . . Transfer Device    -   401 . . . Medicine Receiving Part (Sub Storage Part)    -   402 . . . Medicine Dispensing Part (Main Storage Part)    -   403 . . . Forward Pipe Line    -   405 . . . Blower (Airflow Producing Means)    -   408 . . . Pump (Suction and exhaust means)    -   410 . . . Exhaust Pipe Line    -   420 . . . Shutter    -   423 . . . Inclined Surface (Partitioning means)    -   440 . . . Filter    -   441 . . . Buffer (Buffer Means)    -   442 . . . Forward Isolation Portion    -   500 . . . Transfer Device    -   502 . . . Forward Pipe Line    -   504 . . . Blower (Airflow Producing Means)    -   510 . . . Medicine Dispensing Part (Delivering Part)    -   512 . . . Delivery container    -   512 a . . . Side Portion (Side Portion A)    -   512 b . . . Side Portion (Side Portion B)    -   512 c . . . Side Portion (Side Portion C)    -   514 . . . Shutter    -   516 . . . Internal Space    -   518 . . . Bottom Portion    -   520 . . . Dispensing Opening    -   522 . . . Buffer Means    -   524 . . . Upper Sub Container Body (Sub Container Body)    -   524 p . . . Exhaust Hole    -   526 . . . Lower Sub Container Body (Sub Container Body)    -   526 p . . . Exhaust Hole    -   530 . . . Outer Container    -   532 . . . Exhaust Part    -   534 . . . Primary Filter    -   536 . . . Secondary Filter    -   540 . . . Joint Pipe

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A medicine dispensing system 1, a main unit (medicine dispensing device)2 and a sub unit (medicine dispensing device) 3 according to oneembodiment of the present invention will be described in detail withreference to the accompanying drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the medicinedispensing system 1 has the main unit 2 and the sub unit 3. The mainunit 2 forms a basic section of the medicine dispensing system 1.Further, the sub unit 3 may be used in combination with the main unit 2.The medicine dispensing system 1 has a transfer device 5 operatedbetween the main unit 2 and the sub unit 3. In the medicine dispensingsystem 1 according to the present embodiment, the transfer device 5 isdisposed in the sub unit 3. The transfer device is configured totransfer the medicine dispensed in the sub unit 3 toward the main unit2.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the main unit 2 includes a mainstorage part 20 and a medicine packing part 21. A medicine path 22connecting the main storage part and the medicine packing part is formedin the main unit. A medicine standby mechanism part 50 and a medicinepreparing part 80, which will be described in detail below, form amiddle section of the medicine path 22. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, themain unit 2 includes a manual distributing unit 23 independent from themain storage part 20. Medicines to be prescribed can be also fed intothe manual distributing unit 23. That is, the main unit 2 includes themain storage part 20 and the manual distributing unit 23 as a medicinedispensing means capable of dispensing the medicines according to aprescription.

The main storage part 20 has a drum 31 having a plurality of verticallyelongated plate members 30 that are circumferentially arranged as shownin FIG. 4( a). The main storage part is configured such that a pluralityof cassettes 32 for accommodating tablets are attached to an outerperipheral surface of the drum 31 as shown in FIG. 4( b). In the platemembers 30, a plurality of cassette attaching holes 35, for attachingthe cassette 32, and openings 36 communicating with a dispensing path 33are formed along a length direction (upward and downward direction) tocorrespond to an attachment position of the cassettes 32. In the mainstorage part 20 employed in the present embodiment, a plurality of thecassettes 32 are juxtaposed along a lengthwise direction (upward anddownward direction) of the plate member 30 as well as around thecircumference of the drum 31.

Each of the plate members 30 is attached through a hinge to a frame thatmakes up a framework of the drum 31 at its upper end portion. Whenperforming maintenance on the main storage part 20, each of the platemembers is maintained in a raised state by lifting a lower end portionof each of the plate members 30 and the drum 31 can be opened.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, an inner side (an inner peripheral surface)of the drum 31 is provided with the dispensing path 33. The dispensingpath 33 serves as a path for feeding the medicines dispensed from thecassette 32 to a further downstream side. More specifically, to a rearside of the plate member 30, that is, a surface facing the inside of thedrum 31 is provided with a guide member 37. The guide member 37 has anapproximately U-shaped cross-section and is an elongated member similarto the plate member 30. The guide member 37 is fixed to the rear side ofthe plate member 30 and an approximate center portion of the platemember 30 in a widthwise direction thereof (in a circumferentialdirection of the drum 31). Thus, the dispensing path 33, which extendsstraight along a lengthwise direction of the plate member 30 (i.e.,along an upward and downward direction), is formed between the guidemember 37 and the rear surface of the plate member 30.

As shown in FIGS. 4( b) and 5, a main portion of the cassette 32includes a motor base (container mounting part) 40 and a feedercontainer (medicine feeding container) 41. The motor base 40 includes amotor 43. An output shaft 45 is attached to the motor to upwardlyproject from the motor base 40. Also, the output shaft 45 is providedwith a gear 46. Further, the motor base 40 contains a reader-writer (aninterface means) 44. The reader-writer 44 corresponds to a communicationmechanism referred to as an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification). Thereader-writer is configured to communicate with a tag 49 provided in thefeeder container 41 (this will be described in detail below) to read andwrite a data necessary for the tag 49.

The feeder container 41 is disposed above the motor base 40 and isconfigured to be detachable relative to the motor base 40. As shown inFIGS. 5 and 6, the feeder container 41 is a hollow container formed bymounting an opening attachment 41 b and a lid attachment 41 c on acontainer body portion 41 a. The feeder container is configured to becapable of accommodating medicines therein. As shown in FIG. 6, thecontainer body portion 41 has an opening attachment mounting portion 41d capable of mounting the opening attachment 41 b at its back side(i.e., a side facing toward the drum 31 when the feeder container 41 isattached to the motor bases 40 mounted on the drum 31).

The opening attachment 41 b is configured to be mounted to the openingattachment mounting portion 41 d of the container body portion 41 a. Theopening attachment 41 b has an opening 47 a for discharging themedicines accommodated in the feeder container 41 and a tag attachingportion 47 b. In the feeder container 41 employed in the presentembodiment, various kinds of the opening attachments 41 b with differentsizes of openings 47 a are prepared. Thus, according to a size of themedicine to be accommodated in the container body portion 41 a, asuitable opening attachment can be selected and mounted. The tagattaching portion 47 b is formed at a lower side of the openingattachment 41 b in a cantilever shape. When the opening attachment 41 bis mounted to the opening attachment mounting portion 41 d, the tagattaching portion 47 b becomes parallel to a bottom surface of thecontainer body portion 41 a.

The lid attachment 41 c is configured to close an open portion of anupper end side of the container body portion 41 a. The lid attachment 41c has a lid portion 41 f, a clip potion 41 g and a hinge portion 41 h.The lid portion 41 f and the clip portion 41 g are bendably connected toeach other through the hinge portion 41 h. The lid attachment 41 c ismounted by fitting a lid attachment mounting portion 41 e provided at anupper end of the container body portion 41 a to the clip portion 41 g.The feeder container 41 can open the container body portion 41 a byerecting the lid portion 41 f as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 and can closethe container body portion 41 a by laying down the lid portion as shownin FIG. 4( b).

As shown in FIG. 4( b), a rotor 48 is disposed in the feeder container41. A plurality of grooves 48 extending in an upward and downwarddirection are circumferentially formed at an outer periphery of therotor 48 at an approximately equal interval. The rotor 48 is configuredto freely rotate in the feeder container 41. As the rotor rotates, thegrooves 48 a reach a position of an opening 47 a formed at a back sideof the feeder container 41 one after another. In the present embodiment,various kinds of the rotors 48 with different widths of grooves 48 a areprepared. Thus, according to the size of the medicine to be accommodatedin the container body portion 41 a, a suitable rotor may be selected andmounted. That is, in the present embodiment, a width (a length in acircumferential direction of the rotor 48) and depth (a length along adiameter of the rotor 48) of the groove 48 a is sized such that one ofthe medicines accommodated in the container body portion 41 a can passthrough the groove one by one.

The rotor 48 is connected to a gear 48 b exposed on a bottom surface ofthe feeder container 41. When the feeder container 41 is mounted on themotor base 40, the gear 48 b is allowed to mesh with a gear 46 of themotor base 40. As a result, as the motor 43 provided in the motor base40 operates, the rotor 48 rotates within the feeder container 41 as muchas a rotation quantity of the output shaft 45. Thus, the cassette 32 isconfigured to appropriately adjust a quantity of the medicines dispensedfrom the opening 47 a of the feeder container 41 by adjusting the amountof rotation of the output shaft 45 of the motor 43.

When the opening attachment 41 b and the lid attachment 41 c areattached as described above, the tag attaching portion 47 b comes to aposition which becomes a bottom surface of the feeder container 41. Thetag attaching portion 47 b is provided with a tag (an informationrecordable medium) 49. In the present embodiment, as the tag 49, an RFIDtag or an RFID chip is employed as the tag 49. Various data including anidentification data of the feeder container 41 and the kinds ofmedicines to be accommodated in the feeder container 41 can betransmitted to and received from the tag 49. The data of the tag can berenewed or written.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4( a) and FIG. 4( c), an abnormal setdetecting means 38 is provided at an outer side of the drum 31. Theabnormal set detecting means 38 includes a contact plate 38 a and aswitch 38 b. The abnormal set detecting means 38 is configured to detectan abnormal attachment of the cassette 32 to the drum 31 based onwhether or not the switch 38 b is turned on.

Configuration of the abnormal set detecting means 38 will be describedin detail as follows. As shown in FIG. 4( a), the contact plate 38 a isan elongated plate body. The contact plate 38 a is disposed along aheight direction of the drum 31. The contact plate 38 a isshaft-supported on a housing of the main unit 2 through a hinge 38 c ina cantilever shape. An end of the contact plate facing toward the drum31 is a free end. That is, the contact plate 38 a is supported by thehinge 38 c so as to be capable of swinging relative to a tangentialdirection of the drum 31. Further, the switch 38 b is disposed in aposition where the contact plate 38 a contacts the switch as the contactplate 38 a swings. If the contact plate 38 a contacts the switch 38 b,then a contact of the switch is pressed down and thus the switch isturned on.

As shown in FIG. 4( c), when assuming a trajectory J, which ends of thecassettes 32 form while passing along with a rotation of the drum 31with the cassettes 32 attached thereto, the contact plate 38 a ispositioned slightly apart from the trajectory J in a direction of adiameter of the drum 31 in a position where the ends of the cassettesreach. Thus, when the cassette 32 is not securely mounted on the drum 31and therefore projects outwardly in a direction of a diameter of thedrum 31, the cassette 32 is brought into contact with the contact plate38 a along with the rotation of the drum 31 and therefore the contactplate 38 a swings about the hinge 38 c. As a result, the contact plate38 a bumps against the switch 38 b and the switch is turned on. Thus,the abnormal attachment of the cassette 32 is detected.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the medicine standby mechanism part 50 isdisposed below the above-described drum 31. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 7,the medicine standby mechanism part 50 includes, as a main part thereof,a funnel-shaped standby hopper 51, a movable lid 52 and a lid movingmechanism 53. The standby hopper 51 is attached to a box body 54 of themedicine standby mechanism part 50. The movable lid 52 is mounted on thelid moving mechanism 53 attached to the standby hopper 51.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, the standby hopper 51 has amechanism positioning part 55 for disposing the lid moving mechanism 53in its center portion. A plurality of discharging openings 56 are formedin a position surrounding the mechanism positioning part 55. Further, aflange 57 is formed along an outer edge portion of the standby hopper51. The standby hopper 51 is fixed to the box body 54 by screw-fixingthe flange 57 to the box body.

The lid moving mechanism 53 is configured to move the movable lid 52 inan upward and downward direction relative to the standby hopper 51. Thelid moving mechanism 53 has a motor 58 as a power source, a mechanismpart 60 operable by a power from the motor 58, and a power transmittingshaft 61 for transmitting the power of the motor 58 to the mechanismpart 60. The motor 58 is positioned such that a rotating shaft 58 a isapproximately vertical to a side surface of the box body 54 and projectstoward an inside portion of the box body 54.

As shown in FIG. 8, the mechanism part 60 includes a drive part 60 aoperable by the power of the motor 58 and a driven part 60 b operable bythe power from the drive part 60 a. The drive part 60 a has a bevel gear60 c coupled to a leading end of the power transmitting shaft 61 and abevel gear 60 d disposed so as to mesh therewith. The bevel gear 60 d iscoupled to one end of a rotating shaft 60 e uprightly erected verticallyto the power transmitting shaft 61. Further, a drive gear 60 f iscoupled to the other end of the rotating shaft 60 e and configured to beintegrally rotatable with the bevel gear 60 d. Thus, if a rotation poweris transmitted from the motor 58 through the power transmitting shaft61, the drive gear 60 f rotates about the rotating shaft 60 e.

Meanwhile, the driven part 60 b has a rotating cylinder member 60 g, adriven gear 60 h, a cam 60 i and a slide shaft 60 j. The rotatingcylinder member 60 g is a cylindrical member. The rotating cylindermember is positioned with its axial center at an approximate center ofthe mechanism positioning part 55 and is supported so as to rotate aboutthe axial center. The drive gear 60 h has a ring shape. The drive gear60 h is an outwardly-toothed gear with its outer diameter approximatelyequal to the rotating cylinder member 60 g. The drive gear 60 h is fixedon an upper end of the rotating cylinder member 60 g. Further, the drivegear 60 h is meshed with the drive gear 60 f installed in the drive part60 a. Thus, if the drive gear 60 f rotates by the power of the motor 58,the power is transmitted to the drive gear 60 f, thereby rotating therotating cylinder member 60 g about its axial center.

The cam 60 i is a so-called end cam. An end face 60 k of the cam has ashape which is formed by cutting a cylinder at a plane P intersectingits generator. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 8( b), when assumingthe plane P passes the end face 60 k and the cam 60 i is disposed withthe end face 60 k facing upward, the end face 60 k has an upper end 60 slocated at an uppermost side and a lower end 60 t located at a lowermostside. The end face is shaped such that an intermediate portion 60 ugently connects the upper end 60 s and the lower end 60 t.

The cam 60 i is disposed inside the rotating cylinder member 60 g withthe end face 60 k facing upward. The cam 60 i is integrated with therotating cylinder member 60 g to rotate along with the rotating cylindermember 60 g. The slide shaft 60 j is a shaft body connected to themovable lid 52. The slide shaft is divided into a smaller diameterportion 60 p and a larger diameter portion 60 q by a flange portion 60 mprovided at one end side in a lengthwise direction. The smaller diameterportion 60 p is located more closely to the end side of the slide shaft60 j than the flange portion 60 m and has a diameter smaller than otherportions.

The larger diameter portion 60 q forms a main portion of the slide shaft60 j. The slide shaft 60 j is configured to freely slide in an axialdirection relative to the cam 60 i (i.e., an upward and downwarddirection) by inserting the larger diameter portion 60 q into the cam 60i. A roller 60 r is rotatably coupled to a peripheral surface of thelarger diameter portion 60 q and an intermediate portion in a lengthwisedirection of the larger diameter portion 60 q. The roller 60 r is incontact with the end face 60 k of the cam 60 i when the slide shaft 60 jis inserted into the cam 60 i with the larger diameter portion 60 qfacing downward. Thus, as the cam 60 i rotates about its axial center,the roller 60 r rolls on the end face 60 k and the slide shaft 60 jmoves in an upward and downward direction to conform with an undulationof the end face 60 k.

The slide shaft 60 j is integrated with the movable lid 52 by insertingthe smaller diameter portion 60 p into a recess 66 formed at anapproximate center of the movable lid 52 and screw-fixing the flangeportion 60 m to the movable lid 52. More specifically, the movable lid52 is a disk-shaped member having an approximate circular lid topsurface 52 a and a lid peripheral surface 52 b for surrounding an outerperiphery of the lid top surface. The recess 66 is formed at anapproximate center portion of the lid top surface 52 a inside themovable lid 52. The movable lid 52 is integrated with the slide shaft 60j by inserting the smaller diameter portion 60 p of the slide shaft 60 jinto the recess 66 and screw-securing between the lid top surface 52 aand the flange portion 60 m.

The movable lid 52 moves in an upward and downward direction byoperation of the above-described lid moving mechanism 53 to thereby openand close each of the discharging openings 56 formed in the standbyhopper 51. More specifically, in the lid moving mechanism 53, as therotating cylinder member 60 g rotates by operation of the motor, the cam60 i relatively rotates about the axial center relative to the slideshaft 60 j. As a result, the roller 60 r coupled to the slide shaft 60 jmoves in an upward and downward direction to conform with the undulationof the end face 60 k while rolling along the end face 60 k of the cam 60i. Accordingly, the slide shaft 60 j and the movable lid 52 integratedthereto slide upward and downward relative to the cam 60 i.

Still more specifically, as shown in FIG. 9( a), when the roller 60 rcoupled to the larger diameter portion 60 q of the slide shaft 60 j isin contact with a position corresponding to the lower end 60 t of thecam 60 i, the slide shaft 60 j is in a lowermost position in the cam 60i. In this case, as shown in FIG. 10( a), the movable lid 52 is in astate where a lid connecting cylinder 62 of the mechanism part 60 islowered and a lower end of the lid peripheral surface 52 b is in contactwith an inner peripheral surface of the standby hopper 51. In such astate, since each of the discharging openings 56 formed in the standbyhopper 51 is surrounded and blocked by the lid peripheral surface 52 b,the medicines inputted into the standby hopper 51 can be gathered.

Meanwhile, if the motor 58 provided in the lid moving mechanism 53operates, the rotating cylinder member 60 g and the cam 60 i integratedthereto start to rotate as indicated by an arrow in FIG. 9. As a result,as shown in FIG. 9( b), the intermediate portion 60 u of the end face 60k comes to a position corresponding to the roller 60 r. In this case, asdescribed above, the slide shaft 60 j is configured to freely slideupwardly and downwardly relative to the cam 60 i. Thus, if theintermediate portion 60 u comes to the position corresponding to theroller 60 r by the rotation of the cam 60 i, the slide shaft 60 j ispushed upwardly. As a result, the movable lid 52 integrated to the slideshaft 60 j is gradually pushed upward, thereby forming a gap between thelower end of the lid peripheral surface 52 b and the inner peripheralsurface of the standby hopper 51 as shown in FIG. 10( b).

Thereafter, the cam 60 i further rotates. As shown in FIG. 9( c) andFIG. 9( d), as the intermediate portion 60 u comes to the positioncorresponding to the roller 60 r, a height in the end face 60 k becomesgradually higher and thus the movable lid 52 is further pushed upwardly.As a result, the gap between the lower end of the movable lid 52integrated to the slide shaft 60 j and the inner peripheral surface ofthe standby hopper 51 becomes larger. Further, if the cam 60 i rotatesuntil the upper end 60 s of the end face 60 k comes to the positioncorresponding to the roller 60 r, then the gap between the lidperipheral surface 52 b and the inner peripheral surface of the standbyhopper 51 is allowed to maximally open, thereby providing a state wherethe medicines can sufficiently pass through, that is, a state where eachof the discharging openings 56 is opened.

As shown in FIG. 2, a collecting hopper 70 is provided below themedicine standby mechanism part 50. The collecting hopper 70 is situatedso as to connect the medicine standby mechanism part 50 and a medicinepreparing part 80 (this will be described in detail below).

Further, as described above, the main unit 2 includes the manualdistributing unit 23. As shown in FIG. 1, the manual distributing unit23 has a plurality of measures 90 arranged in a matrix form therein.Each of the measures in some embodiments is capable of accommodatingmultiple medicines per pack. The medicine delivering unit is configuredto be drawn out from the housing of the main unit 2. An upper side ofeach of the measures 90 is opened. The medicine delivering unit 23 isconfigured to be appropriately drawn out from the housing of the mainunit 2 so that the medicines for one pack can be fed into each of themeasures 90. When accommodated in the housing of the main unit 2, themanual distributing unit 23 can dispense the medicines by opening abottom side of each of the measures 90.

In a state where the manual distributing unit 23 is accommodated in thehousing of the main unit 2, a manual distributing hopper 91 is disposedbelow the manual distributing unit 23. The manual distributing hopper 91is configured to feed the medicines dispensed from each of the measures90 of the manual distributing unit 23 to the medicine preparing part 80.

The medicine preparing part 80 is configured to gather and prepare themedicines for one pack fed from the above described standby hopper 51and the manual distributing hopper 91 and to sequentially discharge thesame to a further downstream side. The medicine preparing part 80 isdisposed below the medicine gathering mechanism portion 50 and themanual distributing unit 23. As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the medicinepreparing part 80 has a disk-shaped section forming body 81, a medicinepreparing part body 82 and a lid 83. The section forming body 81 hassections 81 a for gathering the medicines. The section forming body 81employed in the present embodiment has a plurality of the sections 81 a(six sections in the present embodiment) in a circumferential direction.Each of the sections 81 a is opened at a top surface of the sectionforming body 81. Further, each of the sections 81 a has a shutter 81 c,which can be opened and closed independently. The shutter 81 c isblocked at normal times, but is opened if a lever 81 d provided at alateral side of each of the sections 81 a is pressed.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 12, each of the sections 81 a issurrounded by the following: a front wall portion 86 a at one end sidein a circumferential direction of the section forming body 81; a rearwall portion 86 b at the other side in the circumferential direction andperipheral wall portions 86 c, 86 d at outer and inner sides in adiametrical direction of the section forming body 81. The front wallportion 86 a is inclined toward an inside of the section 81 a from a topsurface of the section forming body 81 toward a bottom surface thereof.Further, a stepped portion 86 e is formed in a portion of the front wallportion 86 a at a bottom surface of the section forming body 81. Therear wall portion 86 b approximately vertically extends from the topsurface of the section forming body 81 toward its bottom surface up to amiddle portion and then is inclined toward an outside of the section 81a from the middle portion to the bottom surface.

The shutter 81 c has a plate shape. One end (hereinafter, this may bereferred to as a proximal end) of the shutter 81 c is swingablyshaft-supported by a support shaft 86 f in a position of the real wallportion 86 b and the top surface of the section forming body 81. Theother end (hereinafter, this may be referred to as a leading end) of theshutter 81 c faces toward the front wall portion 86 a and the bottomsurface of the section forming body 81. That is, the shutter 81 c isinclined in a downward direction in an inner space of the section 81 aas going from the proximal end to the leading end. The shutter 81 c isbiased by a biasing means (not shown) such as a spring coupled to theleading end pressed so that the leading end can face upwardly. Further,at normal times, the leading end of the shutter 81 a is closed to thestepped portion 86 e of the front wall portion 86 a. Thus, the section81 a is blocked at the bottom surface of the section forming body 81.The lever 81 d is integrated with the shutter 81 a by the support shaft86 f. The lever 81 d is configured to be pivot about the support shaft86 f while maintaining at a constant angle relative to the shutter 81 c.A roller 86 g is freely rotatably coupled to the lever 81 d.

As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, a flange portion 81 b projectingdiametrically outwardly is provided at the bottom surface of theabove-described section forming body 81. The flange portion 81 b has aplurality of gear teeth at its outer periphery and thus has anoutwardly-toothed gear shape. A through hole 81 e is formed in a centerportion of the section forming body 81 so as to pass through inthickness of the section forming body 81, that is, between the topsurface and the bottom surface.

The medicine preparing part body 82 has an accommodating part 82 acapable of accommodating the section forming body 81. A support shaft 82b projecting upwardly is disposed in an approximate center of theaccommodating part 82 a. The above-described section forming body 81 ismounted in the accommodating part 82 a in such a manner that the topsurface faces upward and the support shaft 82 is inserted through thethrough hole 81 e. Thus, the section forming body 81 is accommodatedwithin the accommodating part 82 a while rotatable about the supportshaft 82 b.

Further, a drive mechanism 84 is provided in the medicine preparing partbody 82. The drive mechanism 84 includes a motor 84 a and a gear 84 brotatable by power from the motor 84 a. The gear 84 b is meshed with thegear formed in the flange portion 81 b of the section forming body 81accommodated in the accommodating part 82 a. Thus, if the motor 84 aoperates, the power is transmitted through the gear 84 b to the sectionforming body 81 and thus the section forming body 81 rotates about thesupport shaft 82 b.

As shown in FIG. 12, an opening 82 c for dispensing the medicines isformed at a bottom surface of the medicine preparing part body 82. Theopening 82 c is formed in a position where it can communicate with eachof the sections 81 a provided in the section forming body 81. Further, alever contactor 82 d is provided in a position adjacent to the opening82 c. More specifically, the lever contactor 82 d has a block shape. Thelever contactor 82 d is, in some embodiments, made up of anascending-inclined portion 82 e, a horizontal portion 82 f and adescending-inclined portion 82 g as shown by a tow-dot chain line inFIG. 13. An upper surface of the lever contactor 82 d is inclined in theascending-inclined portion 82 e and the descending-inclined portion 82g, while horizontal in the horizontal portion 82 f. The upper surface ofthe lever contactor 82 d is upwardly inclined in the ascending-inclinedportion 82 e as going toward the horizontal portion 82 f. The uppersurface of the lever contactor 82 d is downwardly inclined in thedescending-inclined portion 82 g as being spaced apart from thehorizontal portion 82 f. The lever contactor 82 d is positioned suchthat the ascending-inclined portion 82 e faces upstream in a rotationdirection of the section forming body 81 and the descending-inclinedportion 82 g faces downstream in the rotation direction.

The lever contactor 82 d is positioned in the medicine preparing partbody 82 in a position where the lever contactor 82 d contacts the lever81 d provided at a later side of each of the sections 81 a when thesection forming body 81 rotates. Thus, as shown in FIG. 13, if thesection forming body 81 rotates and thus each of the levers 81 dcontacts the lever contactor 82 d, then the shutter 81 c connected tothe lever 81 d is opened. More specifically, when the lever 81 d comesto a position where the lever contactor 82 d is provided by the rotationof the section forming body 81, the roller 86 g coupled to the leadingend of the lever 81 d is allowed to ride on the ascending-inclinedportion 82 e as shown in FIG. 13( a). If the section forming body 81further rotates from such a state, the roller 86 g rolls on theascending-inclined portion 82 e and an inclination of the lever 81 dbecomes closer to an approximately horizontal state as shown in FIG. 13(b).

In this case, as described above, the lever 81 d is configured to berotatable about the support shaft 86 f while maintaining at a constantangle relative to the shutter 81 c. Thus, if the inclination of thelever 81 d changes as described above, the shutter 81 c rotates aboutthe support shaft 86 f by such change and the leading end of the shutter81 c becomes gradually close to the rear wall portion 86 b. Thus, thebottom surface of section 81 a gradually becomes open.

If the rotation of the section forming body 81 proceeds as describedabove, the opening extent of the shutter 81 c becomes gradually large asshown in FIG. 13( c). Thereafter, if the section forming body 81 furtherrotates and the roller 86 g coupled to the leading end of the lever 81 dis positioned as shown in FIG. 13( d), the shutter 81 c becomes incontact with the rear wall portion 86 b of section 81 a and thus theshutter 81 c becomes fully open.

If the rotation of the section forming body 81 further proceeds from afull open state of the shutter 81 c and the roller 86 g reaches thedescending-inclined portion 82 g as shown in FIG. 13( e), the shutter 81c is biased and the leading end of the shutter 81 c becomes graduallyclose to the front wall portion 86 a of section 81 a. Thus, the bottomsurface of section 81 a gradually becomes closed by the shutter 81 c.And, if the roller 86 g passes over a halfway point of thedescending-inclined portion 82 g, the leading end of the shutter 81 acontacts the stepped portion 86 e formed in the front wall portion 86 aand the bottom surface of section 81 a becomes blocked by shutter 81 cas shown in FIG. 13( f).

The section forming body 81 is accommodated in the medicine preparingpart body 82 so as to operate as described above. Meanwhile, a packinghopper 85 is provided in a position corresponding to the opening 82 c ofthe bottom surface of the medicine preparing part body 82. The packinghopper 85 is provided so as to feed the medicines dispensed from theopening 82 c toward the medicine packing part 21 (this will be describedin detail below). Thus, if each of the sections 81 a comes to a positioncorresponding to the opening 82 c in the medicine preparing part body82, the lever 81 d provided in section 81 a is pressed and the shutter81 is opened. As a result, the medicines gathered in section 81 a aredispensed toward the medicine packing part 21.

Further, as shown in FIG. 11, an approximately circular opening 82 i isformed in a top plate 82 h forming the top surface of the medicinepreparing part body 82 so as to correspond to the section forming body81. Further, the lid 83 is provided so as to block the opening 82 i. Thelid 83 has three holes 83 a to 83 c. The holes 83 a to 83 c areconfigured to be connected to the collecting hopper 70, the manualdistributing hopper 91 and the sub collecting hopper 87 (this will bedescribed in detail below). The holes 83 a to 83 c are formed in aposition corresponding to each of the sections 81 a of the sectionforming body 81 accommodated in the accommodating part 82 a. Thus, themedicine preparing part 80 is configured to be capable of inputting themedicines through the holes 83 a to 83 c into each of the sections 81 aprovided in the medicine preparing part body 82.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 14, the collecting hopper 70 isconnected to the hole 83 a formed in the lid 83. As shown in FIG. 15,when viewed from the top surface, the hole 83 a is formed in a positiondeviated by one section 81 a, which makes up the section forming body81, in a counterclockwise direction (a left-hand direction) from aposition of the opening 82 c formed in the medicine preparing part body82 for dispensing the medicines. That is, when assuming that one section81 a provided in the section forming body 81 coexists with the opening82 c, the hole 83 a is formed in a position where the medicines can beinputted into section 81 a counterclockwise in a circumferentialdirection of the section forming body 81 from section 81 a correspondingto the opening 82 c.

As will be described in detail below, the sub collecting hopper 87 forfeeding the medicines, which are transferred from the sub unit 3 throughthe transfer device 5, to the medicine preparing part 80 is connected tothe hole 83 b. The hole 83 b is formed in a position counterclockwisedeviated from the opening 82 c of the medicine preparing part body 82 bytwo sections 81 a constituting the section forming body 81. That is,when assuming that section 81 a is positioned so as to correspond to theopening 82 c, the hole 83 b is formed in a position where the medicinescan be inputted into section 81 a counterclockwise adjacent to thesection 81 a. Further, the manual distributing hopper 91 is connected tothe hole 83 c. The hole 83 c is formed in a position clockwise (in aright-hand direction) from the opening 82 c of the medicine preparingpart body 82 by three sections 81 a.

As shown in FIG. 14, the medicine packing part 21 is provided below theabove-described medicine preparing part 80. The medicine packing part 21includes a packing means 21 a and a conveying means 21 b. The packingmeans 21 a includes a sheet transferring mechanism 95, a pack formingmechanism 96 and a printing part 99. The sheet transferring mechanism 95is configured to unwind a packing paper sheet 98, which includes athermally fused elongated sheet and has a sheet form wound around a rollshaft 97, and to transfer it to the pack forming mechanism 96. Thepacking paper sheet 98 unwound by the sheet transferring mechanism 95 issequentially transferred along a path extending through the pack formingmechanism 96 to the printing part 99 as indicated by an arrow in FIG. 14and is then fed to the conveying means 21 b. The pack forming mechanism96 has a sheet supporting part 99, a guide member 100 and a partitionforming device 101. The pack forming mechanism 96 is configured to bendthe packing paper sheet 98 transferred from the sheet transferringmechanism 95 into two portions at its approximate halfway portion in ashorter direction (width direction) and compresses the bent packingpaper sheet 98 into a pouch shape.

The guide member 100 is provided upstream in a flowing direction of thepacking paper sheet 98 from the packing hopper 85 provided in the bottomsurface of the medicine preparing part body 82 halfway in the flowingdirection of the packing paper sheet 98. The guide member 100 hasfunctions of not only serving as a guide of the packing paper sheet 98but also bending the elongated packing paper sheet 98 into two portionsat an approximate halfway portion in a width direction. The partitionforming device 101 is disposed downstream in the flowing direction ofthe packing paper sheet 98 from the above-described packing hopper 85.The partition forming device 101 can compress a portion of one end side(downstream side) in a lengthwise direction of the bifold packing papersheet 98, which is previously bent by the guide member 100, into asemi-pouch shape or compress and close an opening portion of thesemi-pouch shaped packing paper sheet 98 into a pouch shape.

The printing part 99 is configured to perform a print on the packingpaper sheet 98 transferred by the sheet transferring mechanism 95. Asshown in FIG. 14, the printing part 99 is positioned downstream in theflowing direction of the packing paper sheet 98 from the medicinepacking part 21 and upstream in the flowing direction of the packingpaper sheet 98 from the pack forming mechanism 96. A length of thepacking paper sheet 98 existing between the positions of the printingpart 99 and the pack forming mechanism 96 is n times (three times in thepresent embodiment) greater than a length of a medicine pack formed bycompressing the packing paper sheet 98.

As shown in FIG. 16, the conveying means 21 b is configured to conveythe packing paper sheet 98 with the medicines packed therein in thepacking means 21 a toward dispensing openings 2 c, 2 d formed in a frontpanel 2 a or a side panel 2 b of the main unit 2. As shown in FIG. 17,the conveying means 21 b has a casing 105. A conveying mechanism 106 isequipped in the casing 105. The conveying means 21 b includes areceiving portion 105 a, a straight portion 105 b and a bent portion 105c. As shown in FIGS. 14, 17 and 19, the conveying means 21 b is disposedin a manner that the receiving portion 105 a is positioned at a bottomsurface in the housing of the main unit 2 and a portion from thestraight portion 105 b to the bent portion 105 c erects obliquelyupwardly from the receiving opening 105.

The conveying means 21 b has a serial conveying path of the packingpaper sheet 98 from the receiving portion 105 a through the straightportion 105 b to the bent portion 105 c. As shown in FIGS. 16 and 19,drive rollers 110 are provided in several places along the conveyingpath formed in the conveying means 21 b. More specifically, the driverollers 110 are freely rotatably provided in the following places: anentrance to the receiving portion 105 a; the vicinity of a boundarybetween the receiving portion 105 a and the straight portion 105 b; andthe vicinity of a boundary between the straight portion 105 b and thebent portion 105 c; and a leading end side of the bent portion 105 c. Inthe conveying means 21 b, belts 111 are wound between neighboring driverollers 110 so as to transmit a power from a motor (not shown). In thepresent embodiment, four belts 111 are provided at a predeterminedinterval in a lengthwise direction of each drive roller 110.

The receiving portion 105 a is configured to receive the packing papersheet 98 with the medicines packed by the packing means 21 a and tochange a transfer direction of the packing paper sheet 98, which istransferred obliquely downward, into an obliquely upward direction. Thereceiving opening 105 has a receiving opening 107 a for receiving thepacking paper sheet 98 and a guide roller 107 b provided therein. Thereceiving portion 105 a is disposed in a position where the receivingopening 107 a can receive the serial packing paper sheet 98 formed bypacking the medicines in the packing means 21 a.

The casing 105 is configured to allow the packing paper sheet 98 to passthrough between the guide roller 107 b and the above-described driveroller 110 and the belt 111 suspended thereto at a portion correspondingto the receiving portion 105 a. Further, the receiving portion 105 a iscurved along the guide roller 107 b and connected to the straightportion 105 b. Thus, if the packing paper sheet 98 is introduced throughthe receiving opening 107 a into the receiving portion 105 a in theconveying means 21 b, then the packing paper sheet 98 is guided by theguide roller 107 b and is brought into contact with the drive roller 110and the belt 111 and then the packing paper sheet 98 is transferredtoward the straight portion 105 b.

A plurality of pressing rollers 112 are provided at a boundary betweenthe receiving portion 105 a and the straight portion 105 b, the straightportion 105 b and the bent portion 105 c. The pressing rollers 112 aredisposed at a predetermined interval with the neighboring one in alengthwise direction of the straight portion 105 b. Further, whenassuming a conveyance plane H of the packing paper sheet 98 formed bythe drive roller 110 and the belt 111, the pressing roller 112 pressesthe conveyance plane H with such a pressure force as the belt 11slightly flexes. Further, the pressing roller 112 is biased toward theconveyance plane H. Thus, if the packing paper sheet 98 is introducedthrough the receiving portion 105 a, the packing paper sheet 98 is underpressure toward the conveyance plane H by the pressing roller 112 andthe packing paper sheet 98 receives a power from the drive roller 110and the belt 111 to be transferred downstream.

In this case, as described above, a plurality of the pressing rollers112 are provided in the conveying means 21 a. Meanwhile, as shown inFIG. 18( b), a sub roller 115 a is provided at a lateral side of thepressing roller 112 closer to the receiving portion 105 a (hereinafter,where necessary, this may be referred to as the pressing roller 112 a).The sub roller 115 a constitutes a transfer abnormality detectingmechanism (detecting means) 115 for detecting a transfer abnormality ofthe packing paper sheet 98. The sub roller is provided so as to berotatable independently of the pressing roller 112 a.

As shown in FIG. 18, the abnormality detecting mechanism 115 has a pinchroller (detecting means) 115 b, a shaft 115 c and a rotary encoder(rotary detecting means) 115 d in addition to the above-described subroller 115 a. The pinch roller 115 b is disposed such that theabove-described conveyance plane H is interposed between the pinchroller and the sub roller 115 a. The pinch roller 115 b is coupled toone end of the shaft 115 c and is rotatable integrally with the shaft115 c. Thus, if the packing paper sheet 98 passes along the conveyanceplane H, the pinch roller 115 b and the shaft 115 c integrally rotatesince they are pushed by the packing paper sheet 98.

In this case, as described above, the sub roller 115 a is configured tobe rotatable independently of the pressing roller 112 a. Thus, althoughthe belt 11 operates and the pressing roller 112 a rotates by the powerfrom the belt 111, the sub roller 115 a does not rotate. Thus, the subroller 115 a and the pinch roller 115 b do not rotate as far as thepacking paper sheet 98 does not pass therebetween.

As shown in FIGS. 18( b) and 18(c), the rotary encoder 115 d has anencoder disc 115 e with a plurality of slits 115 g circumferentiallyformed and a photo interrupter 115 f like a conventional one. Further,the encoder disc 115 e is integrally coupled to the other end of theabove-described shaft 115 c. Thus, the encoder disc 115 e rotates alongwith the pinch roller 115 b. Accordingly, when the packing paper sheet98 passes through a position where the pressing roller 112 a isprovided, a rotation is detected by the rotary encoder 115 d. On thecontrary, when the pinch roller 115 b does not rotate since the packingpaper sheet 98 causes a transfer abnormality of the packing paper sheetsuch as a paper jam, a rotation is not detected in the rotary decoder115 d.

As shown in FIG. 17, the bent portion 105 c is connected to the straightportion 105 b through a support shaft 110 a of the drive roller 110provided at a distal end of the straight portion 105 b. The bent portioncan bend about the support shaft 110 a relative to the straight portion105 b. As shown in FIG. 16, when the bent portion 105 c extends straightout to follow the straight portion 105 b, its leading end faces towardthe dispensing opening 2 d formed in the side panel 2 b of the main unit2. Meanwhile, when the bent portion 105 c is bent toward the front panel2 a relative to the straight portion 105 b, its leading end faces towardthe dispensing opening 2 c.

As shown in FIG. 1, the main unit 2 has a worktable 117 at a later sideof the above-described manual distributing unit 23. Where necessary, theworktable 117 can be drawn out from a main body of the main unit 2 orpushed into the main body of the main unit to be accommodated therein.As shown in FIG. 20, the worktable 117 has a container placing portion117 a capable of placing the feeder container 41 which constitutes theabove-described cassette 32. The container placing portion 117 a has arecess 117 b which is concave to correspond to a shape of the bottomsurface of the feeder container 41. Further, when the bottom surface ofthe feeder container 41 is fitted into the recess 117 b, thereader-writer 117 c is positioned in a position opposite tag 49 in thebottoms side of the feeder container 41. The reader-writer 117 ccorresponds to a communication mechanism referred to as a RFID (RadioFrequency Identification). The reader-writer can read and writenecessary data by communication with the tag 49.

As shown in FIG. 1, an operation panel 118 a for operating the medicinedispensing system 1, a barcode reader 118 b and a journal printer 118 care provided at a front side of the main unit 2. The barcode reader 118b is capable of reading barcodes written on an original medicine box.Further, the journal printer 118 c is provided in order to printprescription records of medicines done by the medicine dispensing system1. According to the medicine dispensing system 1, the barcodes are readby the barcode reader 118 b to thereby operate the drum 31 so that thecassette 32 provided in order to accommodate the medicines correspondingto the barcodes can come to the front side.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the medicine dispensing system 1 according tothe present embodiment is configured to add the sub unit 3 to the mainunit 2 configured as above. The sub unit 3 includes a sub storage part120 capable of accommodating and appropriately dispensing medicines,which has the same configuration as the main storage part 20 of theabove-described main unit 2. That is, in the medicine dispensing system1 according to the present embodiment, the sub storage part 120constitutes the medicine dispensing means together with the main storagepart 20 and the manual distributing unit 23 at the main unit 2. Further,a sub medicine standby part 130, which has the same configuration of themedicine standby mechanism part 50 provided in the main unit 2, isprovided below the sub storage part 120. Also, a sub hopper 135 isdisposed below the sub medicine standby part 130. Thus, medicinesdispensed from the sub medicine standby part 130 can be fed through thesub hopper 135 to the transfer device 5, which will be described indetail below.

The sub unit 3 is configured to select the cassette 32 accommodating themedicines according to the prescription from a plurality of thecassettes 32 provided in the sub storage part 120, to operate thecassette 32 and to dispense the medicines as much as a requiredquantity. Further, the sub unit 3 can gather the medicines dispensedfrom the sub storage part 120 one pack at a time in the sub main storagepart 130 and dispense the same one after another through the sub hopper135 to the transfer device 5.

The transfer device 5 is configured to transfer the medicines from thesub unit 3 constituting the sub unit toward the main unit 2 constitutingthe main unit. As shown in FIG. 21, the transfer device 5 has a pipeline 140 and a suction means (transfer means) 141. Each component memberbased on the pipe line 140 are set on in a support 144. As shown in FIG.2, the transfer device 5 is positioned in a manner that the support 144is inserted through a communication opening 4 b formed in a wall surface4 a existing at a boundary between the main unit 2 and the sub unit 3 tolie across the main unit 2 and the sub unit 3.

Configuration of the transfer device 5 will be described in detailbelow. A medicine receiving part 142 is provided at one end of the pipeline 140, while a medicine dispensing part 143 is provided at the otherside. The suction means 141 is pipe-connected to a suction meansconnecting portion 148 provided at the other side of the pipe line 140,i.e., in a position of the medicine dispensing part 143. Further, thesuction means connecting portion 148 serves as a joint for connectingthe pipe line 140 and a pipe connected to the suction means 141. Thus,the transfer device 5 is configured to suck the medicines existing inthe medicine receiving part 142 in the pipe line 140 to the medicinedispensing part 143 when the suction means 141 operates.

The medicine receiving part 142 is provided with a measure 145 forreceiving the medicines and an inlet shutter mechanism 146. As shown inFIG. 21, the measure 145 has an opening at a top surface. The medicinestransferred through the sub hopper 135 provided at the sub unit 3 can beinputted through the opening to an inside portion of the measure 145.Meanwhile, the measure 145 has a medicine dispensing opening 145 a at aside portion 145 b. Further, in a position opposite the opening 145 a,the one end of the pipe line 140 is disposed through a shutter plate 146a constituting the inlet shutter mechanism 146.

In addition to the shutter plate 146 a, the inlet shutter mechanism 146has a motor 146 b for operating the shutter plate 146 a. A pinion (notshown) is coupled to an output shaft of the motor 146 b. Meanwhile, theshutter plate 146 a has a rectangular opening 146 f opened in arectangular shape. One edge of the rectangular opening 146 f isserrated, thereby forming a rack 146 c extending in a lengthwisedirection of the shutter plate 146 a. Further, the shutter plate 146 ahas an opening 146 e in a position adjacent to the rectangular opening146 f in a lengthwise direction. The opening 146 e has an approximatelycircular opening shape and is formed in an appropriate center portion ofthe shutter plate 146 a. An opening diameter of the opening 146 e isapproximately equal to an opening diameter of the pipe line 140.

The shutter plate 146 a is disposed to follow the side portion 145 b ofthe measure 145. The motor 146 b is provided in a position adjacent tothe shutter plate 146 a. The pinion coupled to the output shaft of themotor 146 b is positioned within the rectangular opening 146 f of theshutter plate 146 a and is meshed with the rack 146 c. Meanwhile, braces150 a are provided in positions adjacent to both lateral sides of thepipe line 140. Two rollers 150 b are vertically and rotatably providedin the respective braces 150 a. The shutter plate 146 a is supported asfitted between the rollers 150 b vertically juxtaposed in each brace 150a. Thus, if the pinion (not shown) rotates by an operation of the motor146 b, the shutter plate 146 a slides along the side portion 145 b ofthe measure 145.

If the shutter plate 146 a slides by the operation of the motor 146 b upto a position where the opening 145 a of the measure 145 coexist withthe opening 146 e of the shutter plate 146 e, then the measure 145 isallowed to communicate with the pipe line 140. On the contrary, as shownin FIG. 21( b), if the openings 145 a, 146 e are in a positions deviatedfrom each other, that is, if a portion of the shutter plate 146 aopposed to the rectangular opening 146 f through the opening 146 e comesto a position corresponding to the opening 145 a of the measure 145,then the opening 145 a becomes blocked by the shutter plate 146 a.

The medicine dispensing part 143 is a part for dispensing the medicinesconveyed from the medicine receiving part 142 through the pipe line 140.The medicine dispensing part 14 has an outlet shutter mechanism 147. Asshown in FIG. 23, the end of the pipe line 140 is blocked at themedicine dispensing part 143. A large number of fine openings 140 b areformed in a periphery of the pipe line 140 at an upper side in anassemble state of the pipe line. Further, a dispensing opening 140 a isformed in the periphery of the pipe line 140 at a side opposed to aportion where the fine opening 140 b is formed.

As shown in FIG. 23, the outlet shutter mechanism 147 has a jacket 147a, a shutter tube 147 b, a motor 147 c and a gear 147 d. The jacket 147a has a tube-shaped jacket body 147 e and a branch portion 147 f. Oneend of the jacket body 147 e is blocked and is mounted on the end of thepipe line 140. The jacket body 147 e and the branch portion 147 fcommunicate with each other. In the jacket body 147 e, theabove-described fine openings 140 b face toward the branch portion 147f. The end of the pipe line 140 is inserted to the jacket body. Further,as shown in FIG. 21, the suction means connecting portion 148 isconnected to the branch portion 147 f.

The shutter tube 147 b has a tube portion 147 g and a gear 147 hprovided in an outer periphery of the tube portion. The tube portion andthe gear 147 h are integrally formed. The tube portion 147 g ispositioned between the outer periphery of the pipe line 140 and an innerperiphery of the jacket body 147 e and rotatable therebetween in acircumferential direction of the pipe line 140. Further, the tubeportion 147 g is provided with an opening 147 i having the same size andshape as the dispensing opening 140 a formed in the end of the pipe line140. The gear 147 h is provided at one end of the tube portion 147 g andexposed outwardly of the jacket body 147 e.

As shown in FIG. 23, the motor 147 c is disposed along the pipe line140. A gear 147 d provided in a leading end of a rotating shaft of themotor 147 c is meshed with the gear 147 h integrally provided in theshutter tube 147 b. Thus, if the motor 147 c operates, the shutter tube147 b circumferentially rotates relative to the pipe line 140.

If the shutter tube 147 b rotates and the opening 147 i formed in theshutter tube 147 b comes to the fine opening 140 b of the pipe line 140as shown in FIG. 23( a), the dispensing opening 140 a becomes blocked bythe peripheral surface of the shutter tube 147 b. Thus, if the suctionmeans 141 operates in such a state, then air in the pipe line 140 issucked through the fine openings 140 b and thus airflow flowing from themedicine receiving part 142 to the medicine dispensing part 143 isproduced. Meanwhile, if the shutter tube 147 b rotates and the opening147 i formed in the tube portion 147 g approximately coincide with thedispensing opening 140 a of the jacket body 147 e to thereby communicatewith each other as shown in FIG. 23( b). The medicines having come tothe end of the pipe line 140 are allowed to be downwardly disposed.Further, the fine openings 140 b become blocked.

Next, operations of the medicine dispensing system 1 according to thepresent embodiment will be described in detail below. The medicinedispensing system 1 can pack the medicines according to the prescriptioninto the packing paper sheet 98 one pack at a time and dispense the sameby the cooperation of main unit 2 and the sub unit 3. More specifically,the medicine dispensing system 1 is in some embodiments configured todispense the medicines in the main storage part 20 or the manualdistributing unit 23 provided in the main unit 2 or the medicines in thesub storage part 120 provided in the sub unit 3 according to theprescription one pack at a time to the medicine preparing part 80 in themain unit 2 and then pack the medicines at the medicine packing part 21and dispense the same.

Still more specifically, in case where medicines are prescribed by themedicine dispensing system 1, when the medicines to be dispensed are inthe main storage part 20 of the main unit 2, the motor 43 of thecassette 32 accommodating such medicines operates. As a result, themedicines accommodated in the feeder container 41 are dispensed one packat a time. The medicines dispensed from the feeder container 41 dropdownward through the dispensing path 33 provided in the inside of thedrum 31 and are gathered in the standby hopper 51 of the medicinestandby mechanism part 50. As such, when the medicines in the main unit2 corresponding to a prescription for one pack are gathered in thestandby hopper 51, the lid moving mechanism 53 operates and the movablelid 52 is lifted upward. Thus, the lower end of the lid peripheralsurface 52 b of the movable lid 52 is spaced apart from the innerperipheral surface of the standby hopper 51 and thus the medicinesblocked by the lid peripheral surface 52 b fall down toward thedischarging opening 56. The medicines reaching the discharging opening56 are dispensed through the collecting hopper 70 provided below thestandby hopper 51 to the medicine preparing part 80.

Meanwhile, when the medicines to be dispensed are in the manualdistributing unit 23 of the main unit 2, the medicines are dispensed onepack at a time from the manual distributing unit 23 as well. Themedicines dispensed from the manual distributing unit 23 are fed throughthe manual distributing hopper 91 to the medicine preparing part 80.

Further, when the medicines to be dispensed are in the sub storage part120 of the sub unit 3, the medicines are dispensed from the sub storagepart 120 to the sub medicine standby part 130, similar to a case wheremedicines are in the main storage part 20 of the main unit 2. That is,when medicines in the cassette 32 provided in the sub storage part 120are prescribed, the medicines accommodated in the feeder container 41are dispensed one pack at a time as described above and then gathered inthe standby hopper 51 of the sub medicine standby part (medicine standbymechanism part) 130. When the medicines to be prescribed from each ofthe cassettes 32 provided in the sub storage part 120 are gathered inthe medicine standby part 130, the lid moving mechanism 53 of the submedicine standby part 130 operates and thus the movable lid 52 is liftedupward. Thus, the medicines gathered in the sub medicine standby part130 are dispensed through the discharging opening 56 and the sub hopper135 to the measure 145 of the transfer device 5.

When the medicines are dispensed to the measure 145, the motor 146 b ofthe inlet shutter mechanism 146 provided in the vicinity of the medicinereceiving part 142 operates to slide the shutter plate 146 a and thesuction means 141 operates. Further, in the medicine dispensing part143, the dispensing opening 140 a of the pipe line 140 is blocked by theperipheral surface of the shutter tube 147 b, while the opening 147 iformed in the peripheral surface of the shutter tube 147 b communicateswith the fine openings 140 b formed in the peripheral surface of thepipe line 140. Then, if the opening 146 e of the shutter plate 146 acommunicates with the openings 145 a formed in the side portion 145 b ofthe measure 145, the medicines dispensed in the measure 145 are drawninto the pipe line 140. Thereafter, the motor 146 b operates in areverse direction to the above-described embodiment and the opening 145a of the measure 145 is blocked by the shutter plate 146 a.

The medicines drawn into the pipe line 140 as described above furthermove toward the medicine dispensing part 143 in the pipe line 140. Ifthe medicines reach the medicine dispensing part 143, the suction means141 is stopped. Then, the outlet shutter mechanism 147 provided in thevicinity of the medicine dispensing part 143 operates to open thedispensing opening 140 a. That is, the motor 147 a operates to rotatethe shutter tube 147 b in a circumferential direction and thus theopening 147 i formed in the shutter tube 147 b is allowed to communicatewith the dispensing opening 140 a of the pipe line 140. Thus, themedicines conveyed from the sub unit 3 are dispensed through thedispensing opening 140 a to the sub collecting hopper 87. The medicinesdispensed to the sub collecting hopper 87 are received in section 81 aof the section forming body 81 provided in the medicine preparing part80.

In the medicine dispensing system 1 according to the present embodiment,the medicines for one pack are dispensed from the main storage part 20,the manual distributing unit 23 and the sub storage part 120 aregathered in section 81 a of the section forming body 81 provided in themedicine preparing part 80. After gathered therein, the medicines aredispensed to the medicine packing part 21. Further, as described above,in the medicine dispensing system 1, the collecting hopper 70, themanual distributing hopper 91 and the sub collecting hopper 87, whichare provided in order to feed the medicines from each of the parts tothe medicine preparing part 80, are provided in positionscircumferentially deviated in the lid 83 of the medicine preparing part80. Thus, in the medicine dispensing system 1, the timing for dispensingthe medicines from the main storage part 20, the manual distributingunit 23 and the sub storage part 23 toward the medicine preparing part80 are different.

More specifically, as for six sections 81 a provided in the sectionforming body 81, when one section 81 a corresponding to the hole 83 a asindicated by “1” in FIG. 15( a) is set as a first section 81 a(corresponding to section A), the other five sections 81 a are arrangedcounterclockwise relative to the first section 81 a as indicated by “2”to “6” in FIG. 15( a) when the section forming body 81 is viewed fromthe top down. When assuming that the sections 81 a indicated by “2” to“6” in FIG. 15( a) are set as second to sixth sections 81 a, themedicines to be dispensed are fed through the collecting hopper 70 fromthe main storage part 20 in a state shown in FIG. 15( a) (hereinafter,this may be referred to as a first rotation state). Thus, when themedicines are drawn into the first section 81 a, the drive mechanism 84operates and the section forming body 81 rotates counterclockwise by 60degrees. As a result, the first section 81 a comes to a positioncorresponding to the hole 83 b as shown in FIG. 15( b) and the sixthsection 81 a comes to a position corresponding to the hole 83 a(hereinafter, this may be referred to as a second rotation state).

In the second rotation state, in case there are medicines to bedispensed from the sub storage part 120 to the first section 81 a, thetransfer device 5 operates to supply the medicines. Further, in thesecond rotation state, in case there are medicines to be dispensed fromthe main storage part 20 to the sixth section 81 a, such medicines aredispensed through the collecting hopper 70. If the medicines aredispensed from the main storage part 20 or the sub storage part 120 asdescribed above then section forming body 81 sequentially rotatescounterclockwise. The second rotation state changes into a state shownin FIG. 15( c) (hereinafter, this may be referred to as a third rotationstate).

In the third rotation state, the first section 81 a comes to a positioncorresponding to the hole 83 c, to which the manual distributing hopper91 is connected. In such a state, when there are medicines to be packedtogether with the medicines previously dispensed to the first section 81a in the manual distributing unit 23, those medicines are dispensed fromthe manual distributing unit 23 through the manual distributing hopper91 to the first section 81 a. Further, in the third rotation state, whenthere are medicines to be dispensed from the main storage part 20 to thefifth section 81 a or medicines to be dispensed from the sub storagepart 120 to the sixth section 81 a, those medicines are dispensedthrough the collecting hopper 70 or the manual distributing hopper 91.

When dispensing the medicines to each of the sections 81 a is completedin the third rotation state as described above, the third rotation statechanges into a state shown in FIG. 15( d) (hereinafter, this may bereferred to as a fourth rotation state) and a state shown in FIG. 15( e)(hereinafter, this may be referred to as a fifth rotation state). Duringsuch change, similar to the first to third states, the medicinesdispensed from the main storage part 20, the sub storage part 120 andthe manual distributing unit 23 are inputted into each of the sections81 a.

Then, when dispensing the medicines is completed in the fifth rotationstate, the drive mechanism 84 operates to further rotate the sectionforming body 81 by 60 degrees in a clockwise direction. Thus, as shownin FIG. 15( f), the first section 81 a comes to a position correspondingto the hole 82 c formed in the bottom surface of the medicine preparingpart body 82. At this time, the lever 81 d provided in a positioncorresponding to the first section 81 a is brought into contact with thelever contactor 82 d provided in a position adjacent to the opening 82c, thereby opening the shutter 81 c. Thus, while the section formingbody 81 moves in a counterclockwise direction, all the medicinesgathered in the first section 81 a direction are dispensed through thepacking hopper 85 to the medicine packing part 21.

The medicines dispensed from the medicine preparing part 80 to themedicine packing part 21 are accommodated in a medicine pack, which ispreviously formed into a semi-pouch shape by the packing paper sheet 98.Then, the medicine pack is sealed by the pack forming mechanism 96 andthe packing paper sheet 98 is transferred by the sheet transferringmechanism 95 toward a further downstream side (toward an obliquelydownward side).

In the medicine dispensing system 1 according to the present embodiment,predetermined information on the medicine is printed by the printingpart 99 at a time (time Z) before the medicines dispensed from themedicine preparing part 80 is packed in the medicine packing part 21.More specifically, as described above, in the medicine packing part 21employed in the present embodiment, a distance between the pack formingmechanism 96 and the printing part 99 is set as a length correspondingto three packs of a medicine pack. Thus, at a time (time Z) as early asa time period (time period Y) required to rotate the section formingbody 81 as much as a quantity corresponding to three sections 81 a froma time (time X) when the medicines are dispensed from the first section81 a, that is, in the above-described third rotation state, theinformation on the medicines in the third rotation state is printed bythe printing part 99. In other words, at a time (time Z) as early as thetime period required for dispensing the medicines from three sections 81a positioned upstream from the first section 81 a in a rotationdirection of the section forming body 81 from the timing when themedicines are dispensed from the first section 81 a, the information onthe medicines accommodated in the first section 81 a is printed by theprinting part 99.

While the section forming body 81 sequentially rotates as describedabove, the medicines accommodated in the first to sixth sections 81 aare dispensed one after another to the medicine packing part 21 and thenpacked therein and the medicines are dispensed from the main storagepart 20, the manual distributing unit 23 and the sub storage part 120 tothe first to sixth sections 81 a. The packing paper sheet 98, which isformed by packing the medicines as described above, is seriallytransferred to the conveying means 21 b existing in the obliquelydownward side. The packing paper sheet 98 transferred to the conveyingmeans 21 b enters an inside portion of the casing 105 from the receivingopening 107 a formed in the receiving part 105 a. Then, a proceedingdirection of the packing paper sheet 98, which proceeds obliquelydownward in the housing of the main unit 2, changes toward an obliqueupward side due to a bend in a portion of the casing 105 correspondingto the receiving portion 105 a or guide by the guide roller 107 b. Thatis, the proceeding direction of the packing paper sheet 98 changes inthe receiving portion 105 a.

The packing paper sheet 98 entering the casing 105 is guided by theguide roller 107 b and contacts the drive rollers 110 and the belts 111wound thereto. Meanwhile, the drive rollers 110 and the belts 111operate by the power from a motor (not shown) provided in the casing105. Further, a plurality of the pressing rollers 112 are provided in aposition opposed to the drive roller 110 and the belt 111. The pressingrollers 112 are biased toward the belt 111 and press the belt 111. Thus,if the packing paper sheet 98 is transferred from the receiving portion105 a toward the straight portion 105 b to thereby enter between thebelt 111 and the pressing roller 112, the packing paper sheet 98 becomespressed toward the drive roller 110 and the belt 111 by the pressingroller 112. Accordingly, if the power is transmitted from the belt 111to the packing paper sheet 98, the packing paper sheet 98 is conveyedalong the straight portion 105 toward the bent portion 105 c locatedobliquely upward.

The packing paper sheet 98, which reaches the bent portion 105 c asdescribed above, is further conveyed along the bent portion 105 c. Inthis case, as described above, in the conveying means 21 b employed inthe present embodiment, the bent portion 105 c may be continue in astraight direction toward the straight portion 105 with its leading endfacing toward the side panel 2 b or may be bent toward the front panel 2a of the main unit 2 relative to the straight portion 105 b. Thus, whenthe bent portion 105 c is continues in a straight direction towards thestraight portion 105 b, the packing paper sheet 98 conveyed along thestraight portion 105 b moves straight toward the side panel 2 b and thenis removed from the dispensing opening 2 d to the outside of the mainunit 2. Meanwhile, when the bent portion 105 c is bent toward the frontpanel 2 a, a conveying direction of the packing paper sheet 98 conveyedalong the straight portion 105 b is directed to the front panel 2 a andtherefore the packing paper sheet 98 is dispensed from the dispensingopening 2 c.

In the medicine dispensing system 1 according to the present embodiment,abnormality in the medicine packing part 21 such as a paper jam of thepacking paper sheet 98 can be detected by means of the abnormalitydetecting means 115. More specifically, the packing paper sheet 98 isconveyed by the conveying means 21 b in the medicine packing part 21.However, if the abnormality in transferring the packing paper sheetoccurs at the conveying means 21 or at the packing means 21 a disposedmore upstream than the conveying means 21 b, then the flow of thepacking paper sheet 98 is delayed in the conveying means 21 b.

Meanwhile, in the conveying means 21 b, the sub roller 115 a is disposednear the pressing roller 112 a, which is disposed upstream in theconveying direction of the packing paper sheet 98, that is, disposedadjacent to the receiving portion 105 a, among the plurality of pressingrollers 112. The sub roller 115 a is rotatable independently of thepressing roller. Further, the pinch roller 115 a is disposed in aposition opposed to the sub roller 115 a. Thus, when the packing papersheet 98 flows in the medicine packing part 21 without delays, thepacking paper sheet 98 passes between the sub roller 115 a and the pinchroller 115 a and the pinch roller 115 b is rotated by the packing papersheet 98. On the contrary, when the flow of the packing paper sheet 98in the medicine packing part 21 is stopped by any chance, the packingpaper sheet 98 does not pass between the sub roller 115 a and the pinchroller 115 b and thus the pinch roller 115 does not rotate. Thus, bydetecting by means of the rotary encoder 115 d connected to the pinchroller 115 b by shaft 115 c whether or not the pinch roller 115 bnormally rotates, the abnormality in transferring the packing papersheet 98 can be detected. When the abnormality in transferring thepacking paper sheet 98 such as a paper jam is detected by theabnormality detecting mechanism 115, the medicine dispensing system 1stops the above-described serial operations.

Further, the abnormal set detecting means 38 is provided in the mainunit 2 and the sub unit 3 employed in the present embodiment. Theabnormal set detecting means is configured to detecting a case where thecassette 32 is not securely mounted on the drum 31. More specifically,when the cassette 32 is pushed out from the trajectory J illustrated inFIG. 4( c) due to an abnormal mount, the cassette 32 bumps against thecontact plate 38 a, which constitutes the abnormal set detecting means,along with the rotation of the drum 31 to thereby swing the contactplate 38 a to turn on the switch 38 b. Thus, when the switch 38 b isturned on, the medicine dispensing system 1 judges the abnormal mount ofthe cassette to thereby stop the above-described serial operations.

As described above, the medicine dispensing system 1 has the main unit 2and the sub unit 3 and is configured to transfer the medicines dispensedfrom the sub storage part 120 provided in the sub unit 3 to the mainunit 2 through the transfer device 5. Further, not only are themedicines dispensed in the main unit 2 but also the medicines dispensedin the sub unit 3 can be packed in the medicine packing part 21 providedin the main unit 2 together and then be dispensed. Thus various kinds ofthe medicines can be dealt with by providing the sub units 3.

In this case, as described above, in the medicine dispensing system 1, alarge number of the cassettes 32 are provided installed not only in themain unit 2 but also in the sub unit 3. Thus, in some embodiments, themedicine dispensing system 1 is configured to accurately managecharacteristic information on the feeder container 41 (hereinafter, thismay be referred to as a characteristic container information), whichconstitutes each cassette 32. More specifically, it is preferred thatthe medicine dispensing system 1 is configured to record thecharacteristic container information such as data on the kind orquantity of the medicines accommodated in the feeder container 41 ofeach cassette 32, data on a supplement history related to a personperforming a medicine supplement in each feeder container 41 and dateand time of the medicine supplement, data on a usage history of eachcassette, and the like into the tag 49. Further, the medicine dispensingsystem 1 may be configured to manage the medicines accommodated in eachfeeder container 41 or notify a user of a maintenance time of eachcassette 32 based on the characteristic container information of eachcassette recorded in the tag 49. Thus, in order to meet such a demand,as shown in FIG. 20, there is provided a data management system 180configured to transmit and receive the data including the characteristiccontainer information to and from the tag 49, to renew and write thedata and to read the data from the tag 49, by a control means 170provided for controlling the operations of the medicine dispensingsystem 1 and either the reader-writer 49 contained in the motor base 40which constitutes each cassette 32 or the reader-writer 117 c providedin the worktable 117. The data management system 180 manages thecharacteristic container information of each cassette 32. Hereinafter, adata management method performed by means of the data management system180 in the medicine dispensing system 1 and the operations of themedicine dispensing system 1 will be described in detail below accordingto an order of medicine filling.

In the medicine dispensing system 1, the medicine filling for the mainstorage part 20 and the sub storage part 120 is performed by removingthe feeder container 41 of each cassette 32 assigned to every medicine.In this case, when the cassette 32 accommodating medicines for medicinefilling is in a place where a user can easily remove the feedercontainer 41, the feeder container 41 can be removed as it is. However,it may be in a place where a user cannot easily remove it. In such acase, the operation panel 118 a is manipulated and an interface forcalling the cassette shown in FIG. 22( a) is displayed. A numberindividually assigned to each cassette 32 is inputted through theinterface and thus the feeder container 41 of the desired cassette 32can come to a place where a user can easily remove the feeder container41. Further, when the kind of medicines for medicine filling can bespecified, the operation panel 118 a is first manipulated and then aninterface for calling a medicine name shown in FIG. 22( b) is displayed.In such a state, the medicine name can be inputted by manually inputtingthe kind of the medicines for medicine filling through the operationpanel 118 a or be inputted automatically by reading a particular barcodefor each medicine assigned to the original medicine box by means of thebarcode reader 118 b. By dosing so, it is possible to move the feedercontainer 41 of the cassette 32 accommodating the medicines for medicinefilling to a place where the user can easily remove the feeder container41.

The feeder container 41 of the cassette 32 removed from the main storagepart 20 or the sub storage part 120 as described above is positioned soas to be fitted in the recess 117 b formed in the worktable 117. Then,the tag 49 provided at the bottom surface of the feeder container 41comes to a position corresponding to the reader-writer 117 c provided atthe worktable 117. Thus, data communication becomes possible through thereader-writer 117 c between the tag 49 and the control means 170 of themedicine dispensing system 1. Further, in such a stage, an interface forindicating the characteristic container information shown in FIG. 22( c)and FIG. 22( d) is displayed in the operation panel 118 a provided atthe front side of the main unit 2 and thus the characteristic containerinformation is displayed. Thus, an operation mode of the medicinedispensing system 1 is changed from a general operation mode for packingand dispensing medicines according to a prescription to a medicinefilling mode for filling the feeder container 41 with medicines.

If the operation mode of the medicine dispensing system 1 is changedinto the medicine filling mode, the characteristic container informationis read from the tag 49 of the feeder container 41 disposed on theworktable 117 through the reader-writer 117 c. More specifically, exceptwhen there is no data in the tag 49 such as right after starting to usethe feeder container 41, the characteristic container information suchas data on the kind or quantity of the medicines accommodated in thefeeder container 41 of each cassette 32, data on a supplement historyrelated to a person carrying out a medicine supplement in each feedercontainer 41 and date and time of the medicine supplement, data on ausage history of each cassette, and the like is recorded in the tag 49.Thus, when the feeder container 41 is fitted to the recess 117 b of theworktable 117, the characteristic container information including theabove-described data is read from the tag 49 through the reader-writer117 c to the control means 170 of the medicine dispensing system 1. Thedata read from the tag 49 as described above is recorded by the controlmeans 170 into a record means 175 including a conventional memory or ahard disk.

When a screen display is made as shown in FIG. 22( c) and FIG. 22( d),it is possible to input the information such as the kind or quantity ofthe medicines for medicine filling in the feeder container 41 and anoperator's name carrying out the filling operation as the characteristiccontainer information. Regarding inputting the kind of the medicines,the operator carrying out the filling operation can manually inputinformation. Further, it is possible to specify the kind of themedicines in the control means 170 by reading the barcode, which iswritten on the original medicine box of the medicine for medicinefilling, by means of the barcode reader (identification mark readingmeans) 118 b. Further, it is possible to input the kind of the medicineby means of such an operation.

Further, for the operator's name carrying out the filling operation ofthe medicines, the operator can manually input like kinds of medicines.Further, in the present embodiment, for example, information forspecifying the operator (operator specifying information), which isrecorded in an employee card, an ID card, a ring or a wrist bandassigned to each operator, is read by the barcode reader 118 b or thereader-writer 117 c. The operator's name may be automatically inputtedto the control means 170 using this information.

Further, when the tag 49 provided in the bottom surface of the feedercontainer 41 is allowed to data-communicate with the control means 170of the medicine dispensing system 1 through the reader-writer 117 c, thecharacteristic container information on the usage history such as atotal rotation quantity and a total rotation time of the rotor 48provided in the feeder container 41 is read in the control means 170 inaddition to the data related to the medicines accommodated in the feedercontainer 41 such as the kind or quantity of the medicines or the datarelated to the supplement history of the medicines to the feedercontainer 41. Based on the data related to the usage history of thecassette 32, the control means 170 judges whether the cassette 32reaches a durable term or a maintenance time. Further, if it isascertained that the cassette 32 reaches the durable term or that it istime for maintenance to be performed, a warning to that effect isdisplayed in the operation panel 118 a.

In the medicine dispensing system 1 according to the present embodiment,if the feeder container 41 of each cassette 32 is filled with medicinesas described above and is set in the motor base 40, then thedata-communication is performed between the tag 49 of the feedercontainer 41 and the control means 170 through the reader-writer 44provided in the motor base 40. Thus, a filling recording informationthat a feeder container 41 of which cassettes 32 among the cassettes 32is filled with what medicines and how much the feeder container isfilled is grasped by the control means 170 for each cassette 32.Thereafter, a dispensing history of the medicine in each cassette iswritten into the tag 49 through the reader-writer 44 on occasions. Thus,the control means 170 can grasp a remaining quantity of the medicines inthe feeder container 41 of each cassette 32 based on the fillingquantity in the feeder container 41 of each cassette 32 with themedicines and the dispensing history of the medicines written in the tag49. Further, the medicine dispensing system 1 can grasp and managestatistical information such as when and how much any medicines are usedbased on the filling history or the dispensing history of the medicinesgrasped by the control means 170 as described above.

The above-described medicine dispensing system 1 has a function ofcontinuously packing many predetermined medicines through an operationmode referred to as a group packing mode (i.e., a preliminaryprescribing function), in addition to the function of packing medicinesthrough the general operation mode where the medicines are prescribedbased on the prescription inputted by a doctor or pharmacist. Thus, forexample, it is possible to preliminarily pack many general-purposemedicines such as refrigerant medicines, analgesic medicines and stomachmedicines per dosage. When the medicine dispensing system 1 operates inthe group packing mode, the control means 170 confirms whether there isany cassette 32 accommodating the medicines to be packed among a largenumber of the cassettes 32 provided in the main storage part 20 or thesub storage part 120. In this case, when the feeder container 41 of eachcassette 32 is replaced before the medicine dispensing system operatesin the group packing mode, the characteristic container informationrecorded in the tag 49 provided in such a feeder container 41 is readthrough the reader-writer 44 contained in the motor base 40. Then, thecontrol means 17 specifies the cassette 32 including the feedercontainer 41, which accommodates the medicines to be packed through thegroup packing mode, and then the medicines are dispensed from thecassette 32 by a predetermined quantity. The medicines dispensed fromthe cassette 32 are packed in the medicine packing part 21.

As described above, the medicine dispensing system 1 has a datamanagement system 180 and is configured such that the tag 49 provided inevery feeder container 41 of each cassette 32 and the control means 170can data-communicate with each other through the reader-writer 118 c andthe characteristic container information characteristic in each feedercontainer 41 can be read from the tag 49 or written into the tag 49.Thus, it is possible to simply and accurately manage, renew and graspthe characteristic container information for each feeder container 41.

As described above, the reader-writer 44 is contained in the motor base40 of each cassette and it is possible to data-communicate with the tag49 provided in the feeder container 41 through the reader-writer withoutcontact with the tag. Thus, in the medicine dispensing system 1, even ifthe feeder container 41 is mounted on the motor base 40, the data suchas the dispensing history of the medicines recorded in the tag 49 can beappropriately renewed. This can be effectively used for a stockmanagement of medicines. Further, it is illustrated in theabove-described embodiment that the reader-writer 44 is provided in eachcassette 32. The present invention should not be limited to such aconfiguration. The reader-writer 44 may be provided in some or all ofthe cassettes 32.

In the above-described embodiment, the reader-writer 44, 117 c isprovided in the cassette 32 or the worktable 117, which constitutes themedicine dispensing system 1, and it is possible to access to the tag 49provided in the feeder container 41 and read and write the data from andinto the tag through the reader-writer 44, 117 c. However, the presentinvention should not be limited to such a configuration. Morespecifically, the present invention may be configured such that a deviceprovided separately from the medicine dispensing system 1 accesses thetag 49 and reads and writes the data from and into the tag, and the datawritten in the tag 49 is read through the reader-writer 44 and 117 c tothe control means 170 to assist in medicine management.

More specifically, by way of an example of the above-described deviceprovided separately from the medicine dispensing system 1, a counterdevice 195 shown in FIG. 24 can be employed. The counter device 185 hasa body portion 186 and a container attaching portion 187. A controldevice (not shown) for controlling operations of the counter device 185is provided in the body portion 186. Further, a container placingportion and an operation panel 189 are provided at a top surface of thebody portion 186. The container placing portion is a portion for placingthe container for accommodating medicines thereon. Further, theoperation panel 189 is provided with buttons for inputting operationconditions or operation commands, such as a ten key 189 a for inputtinga quantity; a start button 189 b for starting the operation; a temporarystop button 189 c for temporarily stopping the operation; and a stopbutton 189 d for stopping the operation. In addition to theabove-described-mentioned buttons, the operation panel 189 is furtherprovided with buttons such as a write button 189 e and a maintenancebutton 189 f and a display 189 g.

The container attaching portion 187 is provided with an equivalent ofthe above-described motor base 40 of the cassette 32 and a dispensingopening 196. A feeder container 41, which is removed from the mainstorage part 20 or the sub storage part 120 of the medicine dispensingsystem 1, or which is separately prepared, can be mounted on the motorbase 40. Medicines can be dispensed from the feeder container 41 byoperating a motor 43 contained in the motor base 40. Further, a medicinepath (not shown), through which the medicines dispensed from the feedercontainer 41 attached to the motor base 40 pass, is provided in thecontainer attaching portion 187. Also, the medicine path communicateswith the dispensing opening 196. Thus, the medicines, which aredispensed from the feeder container 41 to thereby pass through themedicine path, are discharged through the dispensing opening 196 towardthe container placing portion 188. In the container attaching portion187, more specifically, in a suitable place such as the above-describedmedicine path or the motor base 49, a counting means (not shown)configured to counting the number of the medicines dispensed from thefeeder container 41 is provided.

The counter device 185 can be operated in a plurality of operation modesincluding a counting mode or a predetermined quantity dispensing mode.The counting mode is a mode for counting the number of the medicinesaccommodated in the feeder container 41 mounted on the motor base 40 bydispensing all the medicines 40 therein. The counter device 185 startsan operation according to the counting mode by pressing on the startbutton 189 b when the feeder container 41 is mounted on the motor base40. Further, the number of medicines, which is counted by the countingmeans (not shown) provided in the container attaching portion 187, isdisplayed in the display 189 g.

The predetermined quantity dispensing mode is an operation mode fordispensing the medicine from the feeder container 41 mounted on themotor base 40 by a quantity which a user inputs and sets through the tenkey pad 189 a. The counter device 185 operates in the predeterminedquantity dispensing mode when the quantity of the medicines to bedispensed from the feeder container 41 (set quantity Q) is inputtedthrough the ten key pad 189 a and then the start button 189 b is pressedon. After the counter device 185 starts the operation according to thepredetermined quantity dispensing mode, as the quantity of the dispensedmedicines comes to the set quantity Q, the rotation of the motor 43provided in the motor base 40 becomes slow to thereby reduce adispensing speed of the medicines. In the counter device 185 accordingto the present embodiment, when the quantity of the dispensed medicinesbecomes Q−2, the dispensing speed of the medicines is reduced. Thus,excessively dispensing the medicines by an error is prevented.

After the counter device 185 operates in the above-described countingmode or the predetermined quantity dispensing mode, the operationinformation associated therewith can be written into the tag 49 providedin the bottom surface of the feeder container 41 through thereader-writer 44 provided in the motor base 40 by the counter device.More specifically, after the counter device 185 operates in the countingmode, if the write button 189 e provided in the operation panel 189 ispressed on, then the counted number of the medicines is written into thetag 49. Further, after the counter device 185 operates in thepredetermined quantity dispensing mode, if the write button 189 e ispressed on, then the counted number of the medicines is written into thetag 49. Thus, in case the counter device 185 counts the quantity of themedicines in the feeder container 41 or counts and removes the medicinesand the data associated therewith is written into the tag 49 and thenthe feeder container 41 is set in the main storage part 20 or the substorage part 120 of the medicine dispensing system 1, the data writteninto the tag 49 by the counter device 185 can be effectively used tocontrol the medicine dispensing system 1 or medicine management. Morespecifically, after the data is written in the tag 49 by the counterdevice 185 as described above, if the feeder container 41 is set in themain storage part 20 or the sub storage part 120 or the feeder container41 is fitted to the recess 117 b of the container placing portion 117 aprovided in the worktable 117, the data written into the tag 49 may beread through the reader-writer 44, 117 c by the control means 170 orrecorded on the record means 175. According to such configuration, thedata obtained by setting the feeder container 41 in the counter device185 can be effectively used for the operation control of the medicinedispensing system 1 or the stock management of medicines.

The counter device 185 is an example of the above-described deviceprovided separately from the medicine dispensing system 1. Further, thecounter device 185 itself serves as a medicine dispensing device fordispensing medicines. That is, the counter device (medicine dispensingdevice) 185 includes the feeder container 41 configured to store anddispense the medicines and a control means (not shown) configured todata-communicate with the tag 49 provided in the feeder container 41.The feeder container 41 is configured to be attachable and detachable.The counter device 185 can perform data-communication of the datacharacteristic for the feeder container 41 such as the quantity of themedicines in the feeder container 41 with the tag 49 provided in thefeeder container 41 and the above-described control means. Accordingly,the counter device 185 corresponds to a medicine dispensing deviceprovided separately from the medicine dispensing system 1.

Further, as described above, the medicine dispensing system 1 can readthe information specifying the operator read from an employee card or anID card, and easily and accurately record a person who performed themedicine supplement for the feeder container 41 of each cassette 32 intothe tag 49 using such a data. It is illustrated in the above-describedembodiment that the operator information is specified by items carriedby the operator such as the employee card or the ID card or itemsassigned to each operator. However, the present invention should not belimited to such a configuration. For example, the operator informationmay be specified by a biometric certification such as a fingerprint.Further, the above-described embodiment employs a configuration whereinthe operator information is read from any medium and the data forspecifying the operator can be automatically inputted based on dataassociated therewith. However, the present invention should not belimited to such a configuration.

The operation mode of the medicine dispensing system 1 is changed intothe medicine filling mode upon a condition that the feeder container 41of the cassette 32 removed from the main storage part 20 or the substorage part 120 is fitted to the recess 117 b of the worktable 117 anddata communication becomes possible through the reader-writer 117 cbetween the tag 48 and the control means 170. That is, in the medicinedispensing system 1, it serves as a trigger for changing the operationmode to fit the feeder container 41 to the recess 117 b of the worktable117 and to enable the data-communication. Thus, according to themedicine dispensing system 1, when the operation mode is changed intothe medicine filling mode, the operator does not need to performcomplicated work. Further, it is illustrated in the above-describedembodiment that the operation mode is changed by fitting the feedercontainer 41 to the recess 117 b. However, the present invention shouldnot be limited to such a configuration.

As described above, the medicine dispensing system 1 is capable ofreading the identification mark, which is assigned to each kind ofmedicine, such as the barcode written on the original medicine box bymeans of a mark reading means configured to read identification markssuch as the barcode reader 118 b. Further, the information on the kindof medicine specified as described above is recorded into the tag 49 bythe data-communication between the control means 170 and the tag 49provided in the feeder container 41. Thus, the medicine dispensingsystem 1 does not need any effort such as an operator's manual input ofthe kind of medicines when the medicine dispensing system 1 operates inthe medicine filling mode. Accordingly, the information on the kind ofmedicine can be more easily and accurately recorded into the tag 49.Further, it is illustrated in the above-described embodiment that thekind of the medicine is specified by reading the barcode assigned toeach medicine by the barcode reader 118 b and the data associated withsuch kind of medicine can be automatically inputted. However, thepresent invention should not be limited thereto. Further, the barcodereader 118 b may read any barcodes including a one-dimensional barcodeand a two-dimensional barcode. Further, it is illustrated in theabove-described embodiment that the barcode reader 118 b is capable ofreading the barcode assigned to each kind of medicine. However, thepresent invention should not be limited to such a configuration. Thepresent invention may employ an appropriate reader capable of reading amark made by a color combination or reading the information recorded inan RFID tag instead of the barcode reader 118 b.

As described above, in the medicine dispensing system 1, only bypositioning the feeder container 41 in the recess 117 b of the worktable117, the data-communication becomes possible without any contact throughthe barcode reader 118 b provided in a position corresponding to therecess 117 b. Thus, in the medicine dispensing system 1,data-communication becomes possible between the tag 49 and the controlmeans 170 without any effort, for example, such as connecting a wire tothe feeder container 41, and serial operations such as renewing, writingand managing the characteristic container information on each feedercontainer 41 can be smoothly performed. Further, in the above-describedembodiment, the RFID tag or the RFID reader-writer is employed as thetag 49 or the reader-writer 117 c and thus reading the informationrecorded in the tag 49 and writing the information into the tag 49 canbe performed without any contact. However, the present invention shouldnot be limited to such a configuration. That is, the information may beread and written by using other kinds of information, recordable mediumor reader-writer. Also, although the data-communication is possiblewithout any contact, the data-communication may be performed throughwire connection.

In the medicine dispensing system 1 according to the above-describedembodiment, it is possible to read and write the data characteristic ineach feeder container 41, which is recorded in the tag 49 provided ineach feeder container 41. More specifically, the data such as the kindor quantity of the accommodated medicines and a name of an operatorperforming the medicine supplement. Thus, the medicine dispensing system1 may be configured such that when the feeder container 41 filled withmedicines is attached to the motor base 40 appropriately selected fromthe plurality of motor bases 40 previously provided in the main storagepart 20 of the main unit 2 and the sub storage part 120 of the sub unit3, the control means 170 specifies where the feeder container 41accommodating the medicines required for packing and thus the medicinescan be dispensed according to the kind and quantity corresponding to aprescription. That is, according to such a configuration, the medicinedispensing system 1 may be a device of a so-called free address typewherein the feeder container 41 can be mounted in any position, not of aso-called fixed address type wherein the mount position of each feedercontainer 41 is fixed.

Further, the medicine dispensing system 1 may be a device of asemi-fixed type wherein the motor base 40 configured to attach only thefeeder container 41 for accommodating medicines with a particularproperty thereon is specified. More specifically, the medicinedispensing system 1 may handle various kinds of the medicines. However,depending on the kind of medicines, there are medicines prone to bound,roll, break or chip due to a drop impact at a place where they aredispensed from the feeder container 41. When dealing with the medicineswith such properties (hereinafter, those medicines are referred to asspecific medicines), a packing abnormality may occur unless a timing ofpacking the medicines is delayed until the medicines become stablewithout bounding or rolling or a means for buffering the drop impact isdevised.

Preferably, the feeder container 41 for accommodating the medicines(specific medicines) prone to bound, roll, break or chip as describedabove is to be attached in a lower position of the main storage part 20and the sub storage part 120 or in a position where the above-describedconcerns can be resolved. Accordingly, in case of the above-describedconcerns, the medicine dispensing system 1 may be a device in theabove-described semi-fixed address type. More specifically, in case themotor bases 40 are upwardly and downwardly provided in six stages in themain storage part 20 and the sub storage part 120 as shown in FIG. 51,the medicine dispensing system 1 may regulate the feeder container 41accommodating the medicines with concerns of bounding or rolling(specific medicines) and may in some embodiments be attached to themotor base 40 in a region from a bottom portion up to two stages(hereinafter, this may be referred to as fixed address region Fi).

Further, the medicine dispensing system 1 may regulate the feedercontainer 41 accommodating the medicines except that the specificmedicines may be attached not only in the fixed address region Fi butalso to the motor bases 40 in a region (hereinafter, this may bereferred to as a free address region Fr) other than the region Fi. Also,as for the feeder container 41 which can be attached in the free addressregion Fr, its attachment arrangement may be regulated in a manner ofsubdividing into two or more groups. More specifically, as for thefeeder container 41 accommodating the medicines other than the specificmedicines and inappropriate to drop from a higher place, it may beregulated that such a feeder container 41 is attached in a region lowerthan a free address region Fr1 divided into two stages above the fixedaddress region Fi. And, as for the feeder container 41 accommodating themedicines with no concerns caused by dropping, it may be regulated thatsuch a feeder container 41 is attached to the motor base 40 in a freeaddress region Fr2 divided into two stages above the free address regionFr1. The above-described regulation for a correspondence relationshipbetween the feeder container 41 and the motor base 40 in each region isbuilt in a control means 190 in a manner of storing it in a memory meansin the control means 190 as a container mounting database(correspondence relationship regulating part) 193 as shown in FIG. 52.

As described above, in case the regions of installing a large number ofthe motor bases 40 provided in the main storage part 20 or the substorage part 120 are classified into a plurality of regions (containermounting region) such as the fixed address region Fi and the freeaddress regions Fr (Fr1, Fr2) according to a height of the regions, thecorrespondence relationship between the motor base 40 and the feedercontainer 41 may be regulated as a relationship with the containermounting region at a height which becomes an upper attachment limit ofthe feeder container 41 determined depending on the kinds of themedicines accommodated in this feeder container 41. More specifically,the correspondence relationship between the motor base 40 and eachfeeder container 41 may be determined considering some or all of thefollowing: a bound factor counted for a correlation between a dropheight of the medicines accommodated in each feeder container 41 and abound thereof; a rolling factor counted for a correlation between thedrop height and the rolling; and a value of factor counted for a dropheight wherein the breakage or chipping becomes equal to or less than acertain probability.

In the present embodiment, a correspondence label is attached on thefeeder container 41 and the motor base 40 such that an operatorperforming detachment of the feeder container 41 can easily distinguishthe regulations stored in the above-described container mountingdatabase 193. More specifically, a specific label A colored in blue, forexample, is attached on the motor base 40 in the fixed address region Fiand the feeder container 41 accommodating the specific medicines.Further, a specific label B colored in green, for example, is attachedon the motor base 40 in the free address region Fr1. Also, the label Bis attached on the feeder container 41 which may be attached in any ofthe free address region Fr1 and the fixed address region Fi. Likewise, aspecific label C colored in white, for example, is attached on the motorbase 40 in the free address region Fr1. Also, the label C is attached onthe feeder container 41 which may be attached in any of the free addressregions Fr1 and Fr2 and the fixed address region Fi. Thus, the operatorcan be intuitively aware to attach the feeder container 41 in a regionwith the same label as the label of the feeder container 41 to beattached or in a region lower than said region.

As described above, when the medicine dispensing system 1 is the deviceof the above-described semi-fixed address type, for example, the controlmeans 190 shown in FIG. 52 may be employed instead of theabove-described control means 170. Hereinafter, the medicine dispensingsystem 1 provided with the control means 190 will be explained focusedon configurations and operations of the control means 190. Further, inthe following description, in order to simplify the description, anexample will be described wherein the region of the main storage part 20or the sub storage part 120 is classified into two regions of the fixedaddress region Fi and the free address region Fr according to the heightof the main storage part 20 or the sub storage part 120.

In addition to the function of the above-described control means 170,the control means 190 has a judging part 191 having a function ofperforming an error judgment operation for confirming whether the feedercontainer 41 to be set in the motor base 50 in the fixed address regionFi (hereinafter, this may be referred to as a specific feeder container41 x) is mounted on the wrong motor base 40. That is, when the feedercontainer 41 is attached to the motor base 40, the control means 190allow the judging part 191 to perform the error judgment operation tothereby judge whether or not the attached feeder container 41 is thespecific feeder container 41 x. Also, the control means allows thejudging part to perform the error judgment operation for judging anerroneous mount by confirming whether the specific feeder container 41 xis erroneously mounted on the motor base 40 in the region other than thefixed address region Fi (hereinafter, this may be referred to as a freeaddress region Fr). More specifically, in the free address region Fr1,divided into two stages above the fixed address region Fi, or in thefree address region Fr2, divided into two stages above the free addressregion Fr1. Hereinafter, the error judgment operation will be describedin detail.

(Error judgment operation) In the medicine dispensing system 1 with thecontrol means 190, when the feeder container 41 is mounted on the motorbase 40, the error judgment operation is performed according to acontrol flow shown in FIG. 53. More specifically, if the erroneous mountjudging operation begins, the judging part 191 confirms whether there isany feeder container 41 erroneously mounted against the regulation ofthe container mounting database 193 in Steps 1-1 to 1-3, based on thefollowing: the above-described container mounting database 193; theregion in which the motor base 40 with the feeder container 41 mountedthereon exists; and the kind of the medicines read from the tag 49 ofthe feeder container 41.

Even more specifically, first in Step 1-1, data-communication isperformed between the control means 190 and the tag 49 of the feedercontainer 41 mounted on the motor base 40 by the reader-writer 44provided in each of the motor bases 40 in the main storage part 20 orthe sub storage part 120. Thus, the control means 190 specifies whichregion of the fixed address region Fi and the free address region Fr themotor base 40 with the feeder container 41 mounted thereon exists.Further, in addition to the above, the control means 190 confirmswhether or not the feeder container 41 mounted on the motor base 40 isthe specific feeder container 41 x. That is, whether or not themedicines in the feeder container 41 are the specific medicines with theconcerns of breakage or chipping. Then, the control flow proceeds toStep 1-2.

When the control flow proceeds to Step 1-2, the judging part 191 of thecontrol means 190 confirms whether or not the medicines accommodated inthe feeder container 41 confirmed in Step 1-1 are the specific medicineswith the concerns of breakage or chipping. In this case, if themedicines are not the specific medicines, the feeder container 41accommodating those medicines may be mounted on the motor base 40 in anyof the fixed address region Fi and the free address region Fr. Thus,when it is checked in Step 1-2 that the kind of medicines is not thespecific medicine, the control flow proceeds to Step 1-6 and it isjudged that the feeder container 41 is mounted in a normal position(right mount state). Then, the control flow is ended.

Meanwhile, when it is checked in Step 1-2 that the medicinesaccommodated in the feeder container 41 provided in the main storagepart 20 or the sub storage part 120 are the specific medicines, thecontrol flow proceeds to Step 1-3. It is checked in Step 1-3 whether themotor base 40 provided with the feeder container 41 is in the fixedaddress region Fi of the main storage part 20 or the sub storage part120. In this case, when the feeder container 41 is mounted on the motorbase 40 in the fixed address region Fi, it is assumed that when themedicines in the feeder container 41 (the specific medicines) aredispensed, no problems due to the bound or breakage occurs. Accordingly,in this case, the control flow proceeds to Step 1-6 and it is judgedthat the feeder container 41 is mounted on the normal position. Then,the control flow is ended.

Meanwhile, when it is checked in Step 1-3 that the motor base 40provided with the feeder container 41 is not in the fixed address regionFi but in the free address region Fr, there are concerns about theproblems due to the bound or breakage by dispensing the medicines (thespecific medicines) from this feeder container 41. Accordingly, in thiscase, the control flow proceeds to Step 1-4 and it is judged as theerroneous mount state that the feeder container 41 is not mounted in thenormal position. Then, the control flow proceeds to Step 1-5 to performa display for warning the erroneous mount state in the operating panel118 a provided in the front surface of the main body of the main unit 2and the control flow is ended.

In the medicine dispensing system 1 provided with the control means 190,a medicine packing operation under the general operation mode can beperformed according to the control flow shown in FIG. 54 using judgmentresults from the above-described error judgment operation. Hereinafter,the packing operation under the general operation mode, which isperformed using the judgment results from the error judgment operation,will be described.

(Packing operation using the judgment results from the error judgmentoperation) According to the medicine dispensing system 1 provided withthe control means 190, if a prescription data for designating the kind,the quantity and the number of packs of the medicines to be packed isinputted to the control means 190, an operation under the generaloperation mode is started. If the operation under the general operationmode is started, the mounting state of the feeder container 41 for themotor base 40 provided in the drums of the main storage part 20 and thesub storage part 120 is confirmed in Step 2-1. Then, if the control flowproceeds to Step 2-2, it is checked whether the feeder container 41accommodating the medicines to be packed according to thepreviously-inputted prescription data (hereinafter, this may be referredto as a packing feeder container 41 y) is mounted on the main storagepart 20 or the sub storage part 120. In this case, when the packingfeeder containers 41 y is empty, the control flow proceeds to Step 2-7and an information indicating an error (a feeder container insertionerror) is displayed in the operating panel 118 a as shown in FIG. 55.Further, in Step 2-7, the packing operation is stopped. Then, thecontrol flow proceeds to Step 2-6 which will be described below.

Meanwhile, when all the packing feeder containers 41 y are mounted inStep 2-2, the control flow proceeds to Step 2-3. It is checked in Step2-3 according to the above-described control flow shown in FIG. 53whether not only the packing feeder container 41 y but also all thefeeder containers 41 mounted on the main storage part 20 and the substorage part 120 are erroneously mounted. When the erroneous mounting isconfirmed in Step 2-3, that is, when it is confirmed in Step 2-3 thatthe feeder container 41 (the specific feeder container 41 x)accommodating the specific medicines having problems such as bound orbreakage, which should be originally mounted in the fixed address regionFi, is mounted in the free address region Fr in the main storage part 20or the sub storage part 120, the control flow proceeds to Step 2-8.

It is checked in Step 2-8 whether the erroneously-mounted feedercontainer 41 is a feeder container accommodating the medicines to bepacked (the packing feeder container 41 y). In this case, when theerroneously-mounted feeder container 41 corresponds to the packingfeeder container 41 y, continuing to dispense the medicines as it is cancause the problems such as packing abnormality resulting from bound orrolling of the medicines in the place where the medicines are dispensedor breakage and chipping of the medicines. Accordingly, in this case,the control flow proceeds to Step 2-10 and information indicating anerror (a feeder container erroneous mounting error) purporting that thefeeder container 41 (the specific feeder container 41 x) is erroneouslymounted in the free address region Fr is displayed in the operatingpanel 118 a. Also, the packing operation is stopped until theerroneously-mounted feeder container 41 is mounted in the fixed addressregion Fi.

Meanwhile, when it is judged in Step 2-8 that the erroneously-mountedfeeder container 41 does not correspond to the packing feeder container41 y, the medicines are not allowed to be dispensed from theerroneously-mounted feeder container 41 in the packing operation. Thus,although the packing operation continues as the feeder container 41 tobe mounted in the fixed address region Fi is erroneously mounted, it isassumed that there is no problem due to the above-described bound,rolling, breakage and chipping of the medicines. Accordingly, in thiscase, a message for urging to resolve the erroneous mounting (anerroneous mounting resolving urging message) as shown in FIG. 56 isdisplayed in Step 2-9. Then, the control flow proceeds to Step 2-4 andthe packing operation continues as the erroneous mounting resolvingurging message is displayed in the operating panel 118 a in Step 2-9.

When it is judged in Step 2-3 that no feeder container 41 is erroneouslymounted, or when it is judged in Step 2-8 that the erroneously-mountedfeeder container 41 does not correspond to the packing feeder container41 y, the control flow proceeds to Step 2-4. It is checked in Step 2-4whether the packing feeder container 41 y accommodating the medicines tobe packed is pulled out while the control flow proceeds from said Step2-1. In this case, when it is confirmed that the packing feed container41 y is pulled out, the control flow proceeds to Step 2-11 and aninformation indicating an error to this effect (a feeder containeridentification error) is displayed in the operating panel 118 a as shownin FIG. 58. Also, the packing operation is stopped until the pulled-outpacking feeder container 41 y is mounted again. Meanwhile, when it isjudged that the packing feeder container 41 y is not pulled out, thecontrol flow proceeds to Step 2-5 and the packing operation isperformed. Then, the control flow proceeds to Step 2-6 and it is checkedwhether all the medicines to be packed according to the prescriptiondata inputted at the time of starting the medicine packing operationunder the general operation mode are packed. In this case, when packingthe medicines to be packed according to the prescription data is notcompleted, the control flow returns to Step 2-2. Meanwhile, when packingall the medicines is completed, the control flow is ended.

As described above, in case the medicine dispensing system 1 employs thecontrol means 190, the error judgment operation is performed accordingto the control flow shown in FIG. 53 and therefore it can be judgedwhether the feeder container 41 is erroneously mounted in the containermounting part where the feeder container 41 should not be mountedoriginally. Further, as shown in the control flow of FIG. 54, in themedicine dispensing system 1, when the feeder container 41 iserroneously mounted and such an erroneously-mounted feeder container 41does not correspond to the feeder container accommodating the medicinesto be packed (the packing feeder container 41 y), dispensing themedicines continues due to no inconvenience in packing the medicines.Thus, the work efficiency in dispensing and packing the medicines isenhanced. Meanwhile, when the erroneously-mounted packing feedercontainer 41 y accommodates the above-described medicines with theconcerns of problems such as bound or breakage, dispensing and packingthe medicine is stopped. Thus, where the medicine dispensing system 1 isconfigured as described above, although there is the erroneously-mountedfeeder container 41, the packing abnormality caused by the problems suchas bound or breakage of the medicines can be prevented while minimizinga loss in work efficiency.

In an example illustrated in the above-described embodiment, the motorbases 40 capable of mounting the feeder container 41 thereon areprovided as divided into multiple stages in an upward and downwarddirection. Further, the motor bases are regulated in a two-stage region(the container mounting region) of the fixed address region Fi and thefree address region Fr according to the height. Further, thecorresponding relationship between the motor base 40 and the feedercontainer 41 to be attached thereto is regulated in the containermounting database 193 as the relationship with the container mountingregion being at the height which becomes the upper attachment limit ofthe feeder container 41 determined according to the kinds of medicines.That is, a region which becomes the upper attachment limit of the feedercontainer 41 accommodating the specific medicines causing the problemssuch as bound or breakage is regulated as the fixed address region Fi.Further, a region which becomes the upper attachment limit of the feedercontainer 41 accommodating the medicines causing less problems such asbound or breakage is regulated as the free address region Fr.

However, the regulation (classification) for the relationship with thecontainer mounting region being at the height which becomes the upperattachment limit of the feeder container 41 regulated in the containermounting database 193 should not be limited to the above-described. Theregion divided into multiple stages in an upward and downward directionwhere the motor bases 40 are provided may be regulated to be dividedinto still more stages according to the height. More specifically, theregions may be classified into three stages by classifying the freeaddress region Fr into two regions Fr1, Fr2 as described above or may beclassified into still more stages. In this case, the medicine dispensingsystem is configured such that the correspondence relationship betweenthe motor base 40 and the feeder container 41 to be attached thereto isregulated in the container mounting database 193 as the relationshipwith the region (container mounting region) being at the height whichbecomes the upper attachment limit of a medicine feeding containerdetermined according to the kinds of the medicines, and that it isjudged as an erroneous mount state by the error judgment operation whenthe feeder container 41 is mounted on the motor base 40 in the containermounting region positioned above the container mounting region being atthe height which becomes the upper attachment limit, and that it isjudged as a right mount state by the error judgment operation when thefeeder container 41 is mounted on the motor base 40 in the containermounting region being at the height equal to or less than said upperattachment limit. Accordingly, the attachment state of the feedercontainer 41 can be managed in more detail.

The height (the container mounting region) which becomes the upperattachment limit of the feeder container 41 may be previously determinedbased on the factors counted for the bound, rolling, breakage andchipping of the medicines due to drop of the medicines per each kind ofthe medicines or the classification of the medicines in each grade. Theheight (the container mounting region) which becomes the upperattachment limit may be determined by the control means 190 in anorderly manner according to the factor or grade.

The above-described medicine dispensing system 1 may include a searchpart 192 having a searching function of searching and selecting themotor base 40 which must mount the feeder container 41 judged as theerroneous mount by the error judgment operation of the control means190, as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 52. More specifically, asearch condition may be determined by reading the information recordedin the tag 49 through the data-communication between the tag 49 providedin the feeder container 41 and the reader-writer 117 c by removing thefeeder container 41 judged as the erroneous mount by the error judgmentoperation and fitting the feeder container to the recess 117 b providedin the worktable 117 of the main unit 2. And, the motor base 40 suitablefor mounting the feeder container 41 may be searched and selected by thesearch part 192. Further, as for the search condition, it is preferredto appropriately display the search condition in the operating panel 118a as shown in FIG. 59. Meanwhile, instead of determining the searchingcondition by reading the information of the erroneously-mounted feedercontainer 41 through the data-communication between the tag 49 and thereader-writer 117 c, an operator may manually input the search conditionthrough the operating panel 118 a and the search part 192 may search themotor base based on the manually inputted search condition. In thiscase, for example, the search condition can be appropriately inputted bydisplaying a search condition determining screen shown in FIG. 59 in theoperating panel 118 a.

Further, when the position of the motor base 40 suitable for mountingthe erroneously-mounted feeder container 41 is searched as describedabove, the main storage part 20 or the sub storage part 120 may beoperated such that the selected motor base 40 comes to a position wherean operator can perform the attachment/detachment work of the feedercontainer 41 (an attachment/detachment work position). According to sucha configuration, the attachment/detachment work for theerroneously-mounted feeder container 41 becomes still easier.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the medicine dispensingsystem 1 is constructed by combining the main unit 2 and the sub unit 3and a large number of the cassettes 32 are provided not only in the mainstorage part 20 but also in the sub storage part 120. Thus, whenconstructing the medicine dispensing system 1, it is preferred to read,write or manage the characteristic container information on the feedercontainer 41 of each of the cassettes 32 as described in the foregoingembodiment. Further, it is illustrated in the above-described embodimentthat the medicine dispensing system 1 is constructed by combining themain unit 2 and the sub unit 3. However, the present invention shouldnot be limited to such a configuration. The characteristic containerinformation can be accurately read, written or managed when only a partcorresponding to the main unit 2 is utilized as the medicine dispensingsystem.

In the medicine dispensing system 1, the sub unit 3 does not need themedicine packing part 21. Thus, the medicine dispensing system 1 canreduce the device configuration and minimize an installation area, whencompared to a case of providing a plurality of equivalents of themedicine packing part to the main unit 2. Further, according to theconfiguration of the medicine dispensing system 1, a part correspondingto the medicine packing part 21 can be omitted in the sub unit 3 andthus the sub unit 3 can be configured to accommodate various kinds ofmedicines in a large quantity. Further, since the sub unit 3 does notneed the medicine packing part 21, the medicine dispensing system 1 cansimplify a device configuration or minimize efforts for maintenance.

Since the transfer device 5 employed in the medicine dispensing system 1has the pipe line 140 for transferring the medicines and is configuredto suck the medicines inputted therein, the medicines dispensed in thesub unit 3 can be smoothly conveyed toward the main unit 2. Further,since the transfer device 5 is configured to suck and convey themedicines, the medicines can be conveyed along any conveying path byappropriately curving the pipe line 140. Thus, the medicine dispensingsystem 1 has a high degree of freedom in a device configuration andlayout of the main unit 2 and the sub unit 3.

Further, the above-described transfer device 5 is configured to suck andtransfer the medicines inputted in the measures 145 of the medicinereceiving part 142 connected to the pipe line 140 toward the medicinedispensing part 143. However, the present invention should not belimited to such a configuration. The transfer device 5 may be configuredto pressure-transfer the medicines from the medicine receiving part 142toward the medicine dispensing part 143. Further, the transfer device 5includes the pipe line 140 of one channel. However, the presentinvention should not be limited to such a configuration. The conveyingpath of many channels including many pipe lines 140 may be employed.

In the medicine dispensing system 1 of the present embodiment, the tag49 is provided in each of the cassettes 32 set in the main storage part20 and the sub storage part 120. Also, the data can be transmitted toand received from the tag 49 and the data can be renewed or written inthe tag by the reader-writer 117 c provided in the worktable 117. Thus,the medicine dispensing system 1 can record various data such as data onthe kind or quantity of the medicines accommodated in each cassette 32,data on a supplement history related to a person performing a medicinesupplement in each cassette 41 and date and time of the medicinesupplement, data on a usage history of each cassette, and the like intothe tag 49. Further, the medicines accommodated in each cassette 32 canbe managed or the user can be notified of a maintenance time of eachcassette 32 based on the data recorded in the tag 49.

Further, it is illustrated in the above-described embodiment that thetag 49 is provided in the feeder container 41 of each cassette 32 andthe reader-writers 44, 117 c are provided in all the motor bases 40 orthe worktable 117. However, the present invention should not be limitedto such a configuration. That is, the medicine dispensing system 1 maybe configured such that all the cassettes 32 do not have the tag 49 andsome or all of the motor bases 49 do not have the reader-writers 44.Likewise, the medicine dispensing system 1 may not include thereader-writer 117 c. Further, the medicine dispensing system 1 may beconfigured such that only some cassettes 32, for example, for managingthe quantity of the medicines include the tag 49.

As described above, the feeder container 41 of the cassette 32 canadjust the size of the opening 47 for dispensing the medicines accordingto the size of the medicines to be accommodated by appropriatelyreplacing the opening attachment 41 b. Also, the rotor 48 of the feedercontainer 41 can be appropriately replaced with another one having agroove 48 a sized to be suitable for the size of the medicines to beaccommodated. Thus, the cassette 32 can deal with the medicines ofvarious sizes by appropriately replacing the opening attachment 41 b orthe rotor 48.

Further, it is illustrated in the above-described embodiment that theopening attachment 41 b or the rotor 48 can be appropriately replaced inthe feeder container 41 according to the size of the medicines. However,the present invention should not be limited to such a configuration.More specifically, the opening 47 a of a fixed size may be formed in thefeeder container 41 or the rotor 48 may not be replaceable.

Also, in the medicine dispensing system 1, considering that the packingpaper sheet 98 with the length corresponding to n packs of the medicinepack (three packs in the present embodiment) exists between the packforming mechanism 96 and the printing part 99, the information on themedicines is printed by the printing part 99 at a time (time Z) as earlyas the time period (time period Y) required to rotate the sectionforming body 81 as much as a quantity corresponding to n sections 81 a(three sections in the present embodiment) from the timing (timing X)when the medicines are dispensed through the opening 82 c from thesection 81 a in the medicine preparing part 80. Further, at a timebefore the timing Z of printing to the packing paper sheet 98, themedicines dispensed from the main storage part 20 or the sub storagepart 120 are inputted in the section 81 a. That is, printing to thepacking paper sheet 98 is performed in the medicine dispensing system 1upon a condition that the medicines are dispensed from the main storagepart 20, sub storage part 120 and the manual dispensing unit 23 to themedicine preparing part 80. Thus, when a dispensing abnormality of themedicines to the medicine preparing part 80 occurs, printing to thepacking paper sheet 98 is not performed. Thus, the medicine dispensingpart 1 can easily and accurately monitor whether a dispensingabnormality of the medicines from the main storage part 20, the substorage part 120 and the manual dispensing unit 23 to the medicinepreparing part 80, only by checking whether or not printing to thepacking paper sheet 98 is performed. Further, according to theabove-described configuration, when the medicines to be packed into thepacking paper sheet 98 lack or do not exist, unnecessary printing is notperformed to the packing paper sheet 98 and a waste of the packing papersheet 98 to that extent can be prevented.

In the above-described embodiment, at the timing before the timing Z,the medicines are dispensed from all of the main storage part 20, thestorage part 120 and the manual dispensing unit 23, which constitute themedicine dispensing means, and inputted in each section 81 a. However,the present invention should not be limited to such a configuration.More specifically, the medicines dispensed from some of the main storagepart 20, the sub storage part 120 and the manual dispensing unit 23,which constitute the medicine dispensing means, are dispensed into eachsection 81 a at a time after the time Z. Even more specifically, forexample, since the manual dispensing unit 23 is installed in order topack the medicines inputted by the user's own hands, it is consideredthat abnormality in inputting the medicines from the manual dispensingunit 23 to each section 81 a hardly occurs. Thus, in the aforementionedcircumstance, the time of dispensing the medicines may be after the timeZ with regard to some of parts constituting the medicine dispensingmeans.

The medicine dispensing system 1 according to the above-describedembodiment includes the circular section forming body 81 with aplurality of the circumferentially-arranged sections 81 a in themedicine preparing part 80 and is configured to dispense the medicinesfrom each of the sections 81 a by relatively rotating the sectionforming body 81 relative to the opening 82 c. Thus, according to theabove-described configuration, a space required for operating thesection forming body 81 becomes minimized and thus the deviceconfiguration can be reduced. Further, the medicine preparing part 80should not be limited to the above-described embodiment. For example,the medicine preparing part may be configured such that the sectionforming body 81 has a plurality of linearly-arranged sections 81 a andthe medicines are dispensed from each of the sections 81 a one afteranother by linearly moving the section forming body 81 relative to theopening 82 c.

Further, as described above, the medicine dispensing system 1 has theset abnormality detecting means 38 at the main unit 2 or the sub unit 3.The set abnormality detecting means 38 is not the same as theconventionally known optical sensor but employs a so-called mechanicalconfiguration wherein the switch 38 b is turned on when the cassette 32bumps against the contact plate 38 a along with the rotation of the drum31 and the contact plate 38 a swings thereby. Thus, according to theabove-described set abnormality detecting means 38, the attachmentabnormality of the cassette 32 can be accurately detected without aneffect from a dust, when compared to a case of employing the opticalsensor.

Also, it is illustrated that the medicine dispensing system 1 includesthe set abnormality detecting means 38 of a mechanical type at both themain unit 2 and the sub unit 3. However, the present invention shouldnot be limited to such a configuration. The set abnormality detectingmeans 38 may be provided at one side or the set abnormality detectingmeans 38 and known detecting means such as an optical sensor may be usedtogether.

In the medicine dispensing system 1, the abnormality detecting mechanism115 is provided in the conveying means 21 b of the medicine packing part21 and the transfer abnormality of the packing paper sheet such as apaper jam of the packing paper sheet 98 can be detected by theabnormality detecting mechanism 115. That is, the abnormality detectingmechanism 115 illustrated in the above-described embodiment has a pinchroller 115 b rotatable independently of the conveying means 21 b and apaper transfer abnormality can be detected based on whether the rotationof this pinch roller 115 b is detected by the rotary encoder 115 dduring operation of the conveying means 21 b. Thus, the medicinedispensing system 1 of the present invention can minimize the waste ofthe packing paper sheet 98 or the medicines due to the transferabnormality of the packing paper sheet 98. Further, it is illustrated inthe above-described embodiment that the abnormality detecting mechanism115 is positioned in the straight portion 105 b of the casing 105, whichconstitutes the conveying means 21 b, and in a position upstream in thetransfer direction of the packing paper sheet 98 in order to detect thetransfer abnormality of the packing paper sheet in the medicine packingpart 21 as fast as possible. However, the present invention should notbe limited to such a configuration. The abnormality detecting mechanism115 may be positioned in a position further downstream than theaforementioned position.

In the above-described embodiment, the medicine packing part 21 canappropriately bend the bent portion 105 c positioned at the distal endportion of the casing 105, which constitutes the conveying means 21 b,relative to the straight portion 105 b. Thus, in the medicine dispensingsystem 1, the packing paper sheet 98 with the packed medicines can beremoved from a better one of the dispensing openings 2 c, 2 d of themain unit 2. Further, the conveying means 21 is configured toappropriately bend the bent portion 105 c. However, the conveying meansmay not have a part corresponding to the bent portion 105 c. Also, it isillustrated in the above-described embodiment that the medicinedispensing system 1 is constructed by combining the main unit 2 and thesub unit 3. However, the present invention should not be limited to sucha configuration. The main unit 2 may be used alone.

The above-described medicine dispensing system 1 may be configured suchthat the transfer device 5 is separately provided in addition to themain unit 2 and the sub unit 3 and the transfer device lies across themain and sub units. However, the transfer device 5 may be previouslyassembled with the sub unit 3 and, when necessary, the same may beconnected to the main unit 2 to provide extension of installation. Thatis, the sub unit 3 may or may not include the transfer device 5 as apart of its configuration.

The transfer device 5 of a type of sucking and transferring themedicines dispensed in the sub unit 3 is illustrated in theabove-described embodiment. However, the present invention should not belimited to such a configuration. For example, a transfer device 210shown in FIG. 25 may be employed.

More specifically, the transfer device 210 is mainly comprised of asupport part 220 and a drive part 230. As shown in FIG. 25, the supportpart 220 has a supporting shaft 221 and a base part 222. A supportingshaft 221 has a flange 223 provided at one end and can be erectedapproximately upright by screw-fixing the flange 223. The base part 222serves as a turning means for turning the drive part 230 and is providedat the other end of the supporting shaft 221. The base part 222 includesa turn drive motor 225, a turn drive gear 226, and a seat plate 227. Asshown in FIG. 25, the seat plate 227 is a plate body that is horizontalwhen the supporting shaft 221 is erected. Further, the turn drive motor225 is positioned such that its rotating shaft approximately verticallypasses through the seat plate 227 from a lower surface thereof. The turndrive gear 226 is connected to the rotating shaft of the turn drivemotor 225 on an upper surface of the seat plate 227.

As shown in FIG. 25, the drive part 230 includes two sets of medicinedelivering units 231 (medicine delivering part) and a supporting plate232 supporting them at their lower sides. Further, a turning shaft 234is erected at an approximate center of the supporting plate 232. Theturning shaft 234 approximately vertically extends from the supportingplate 232 and is rotatably supported on the seat plate 227 of the basepart 222 at its lower end. The turn driven gear 234 a is integrallycoupled to the lower end of the turning shaft 234. The turn driven gear234 a is meshed with the turn drive gear 226 of the base part 222. Thus,as the turn drive motor 225 provided in the base part 222 operates, thesupporting plate 232 and the medicine delivering unit 231 providedthereon can turn integrally about the turning shaft 234.

Both of the medicine delivering units 231, 231 have an elongated shapeand are supported parallel to each other by supporting plates attachedto bottom surfaces thereof. The medicine delivering unit 231 includes aslide base 235 and first and second sliding bodies 236, 237 (first andsecond sliding portions). The slide base 235 and the first and secondsliding bodies 236, 237 are elongated bodies and have approximatelyequal lengths. The slide base 235 is fixed on the seat plate 227 of thebase part 222. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 25, thesliding bases 235, 235 of the two sets of the medicine delivering units231, 231 are fixed on the seat plate 227 and are arranged approximatelyparallel to each other.

As shown in FIGS. 25 to 28, the first sliding body 236 is mounted on andcovers the slide base 235 and is slidable in a lengthwise direction ofthe slide base 235. Further, the second sliding body 237 is mounted onand covers the first sliding body 236 and is slidable in a lengthwisedirection of the first sliding body 236. Thus, as the medicinedelivering unit 231 is drawn out away from the sliding base 235 bysliding the first sliding body 236 and the second sliding body 237 fromthe slide base 235 one after the other in a lengthwise direction, themedicine delivering unit can be expanded up to its overall length asshown in FIGS. 25 to 27. Further, as each of the first and the secondsliding bodies 236, 237 is slid toward the slide base 235 from theexpanded state shown in FIGS. 25 to 27, the medicine delivering unitdecreases in its overall length and can be contracted to the extent of alength of the slide base 235.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 29, the slide base 235 has thefollowing: a top portion 235 a; side portions 235 b, 235 b provided atboth sides of the top portion 235 a in a widthwise direction thereof;and a bottom portion 235 c, 235 c continuing to the side portions 235 b,235 b parallel to the top portion 235 a. The side portions 235 b, 235 bare inclined relative to the top portion 235 a and the bottom portion235 c, and are linearly beveled outwardly in a widthwise direction fromthe top portion 235 a toward the bottom portion 235 c. Each of the sideportions 235 b, 235 b is provided with a guide roller 235 d rotatableabout a shaft which is approximately vertically erected on the sideportion 235 b.

As shown in FIG. 29 (b), the slide base 235 has a drive motor 235 e at aback side of the top portion 235 a (below the top portion). A pulley 235f is coupled to a rotating shaft of the drive motor 235 e. Further, adrive pulley 235 h is coupled to one end of a shaft 235 g, which isapproximately vertical to the top portion 235 a, at the back side of thetop portion 235 a and in a position corresponding to one end of theslide base 235 in its lengthwise direction (hereinafter, this may bereferred to as a leading end, if necessary). The drive pulley 235 h andthe shaft 235 f rotate integrally by power from the drive motor 235 etransferred through a drive belt 253 i wound between the drive pulleyand the pulley 235 f. Further, the shaft 235 g approximately verticallypasses through the top portion 235 a of the slide base 235. As shown inFIG. 29 (a), a drive gear 235 j is coupled to the other end of the shaft235 g (i.e. a portion protruding on a top surface of the top portion 235a). Thus, as the drive motor 235 e operates, the drive gear 235 jrotates about the shaft 235 g by the rotational power of the drive motor235 e.

The slide base 235 has a belt fixing member positioned at the leadingend of the top portion 235 a and near one of the side portions 235 b.The belt fixing member 235 k is erected on a surface of the top portion235 a (on the top portion) and is fixed to engage a timing belt 248which is described in detail below.

As shown in FIG. 30, the first sliding body 236 is configured such thata guide rail 238, a driven rack gear 241, pulleys 242, 243, a slidemember 244 and a guide roller 245 are assembled to a main body 239.Specifically, the main body 239 has a top portion 236 a and sideportions 236 b, 236 c. The top portion 236 a has an elongated and flatplate shape and the side portions 236 b, 236 c are disposed at bothsides of the top portion 236 a in a widthwise direction thereof. Theside portions 236 b, 236 c are provided throughout an entire length ofthe top portion 236 a and are linearly beveled outwardly in thewidthwise direction as being away from the top portion 235 a. That is,the side portions 236 b, 236 c are opposite each other and are disposedin an inverted V shape in the back side of the top portion 236 a. Thetop portion 236 is provided with an opening 236 d extending in alengthwise direction of the main body 239.

Guide rails 238, 238 are provided in an inside of the side portions 236b, 236 c throughout an entire length of the side portion 236 b, 236 c.As shown in FIG. 28, guide rollers 235 d, 235 d provided in the sideportions 235 b, 235 b of the slide base 235 are fitted to the guiderails 238, 238. Thus, the guide rollers 235 d, 235 d are linearly movedas guided by the guide rails 238, 238. Further, as shown in FIGS. 28 and30, a driven rack gear 241 is provided throughout an entire length ofthe side portion 236 b in the inside of the side portion 236 b above theguide rail 238 (near the top portion 236 a). As shown in FIGS. 26 and28, when the medic delivering unit 231 is assembled, the driven rackgear 241 is meshed with the drive gear 235 j provided in the top portion235 a of the slide base 235.

Meanwhile, in the first sliding body 236, pulley brackets 246, 247 areprovided in the inside of the side portion 236 c above the guide rail238 (near the top portion 236 a). Pulleys 242, 243 are provided in thepulley brackets. The pulley bracket 246 is positioned near one end ofthe first sliding body 236 (hereinafter, this may be referred to as aleading end, if necessary), while the pulley bracket 247 is positionednear the other end thereof (hereinafter, this may be referred to as abase end, if necessary). The pulleys 242, 243 are rotatably supportedabout shafts approximately vertically extending on the top portion 236 aand fixed to the pulley brackets 246, 247. Further, a timing belt 248 iswound between the pulleys 242, 243. As shown in FIG. 26, the timing belt248 is fitted and fixed to the belt fixing member 235 k provided on theslide base 235.

The slide member 244 has a belt fixing portion 244 a and a sliding bodyfixing portion 244 b. The slide member 244 is fixed to the timing belt248 by fitting the timing belt 248 to the belt fixing portion 244 a.Further, the sliding body fixing portion 244 b is exposed on the opening236 d of the first sliding body 236 toward the top surface of the topportion 236 a (upwardly) and is linearly slidable along the opening 236d in a lengthwise direction of the first sliding body 236. The slidingbody fixing portion 244 b is fixed to a top portion 237 a of the secondsliding body 237, which will be described in detail, by screws and thelike in one embodiment although other ways of affixing are possible.

The second sliding body 237 is provided to deliver medicines. As shownFIGS. 26 and 27, the second sliding body is disposed on and covers thefirst sliding body 236. The slide member 244 of the first sliding body236 is fixed to one end of the second sliding body 237 in a lengthwisedirection thereof (hereinafter, this may be referred to as a base end,if necessary) by screws and the like. Thus, the second sliding body 237is connected to the first sliding body 236 via the slide member 244.

As shown in FIGS. 28 and 31, the second sliding body 237 includesmedicine receiving portion 237 d in addition to the top portion 237 a orside portions 237 b, 237 c. The top portion 237 a is a portion having anelongated flat plate shape and the side portions 237 b, 237 c aredisposed at both sides of the top portion 237 a in a widthwisedirection. The side portions 237 b, 237 c are opposite each other.Portions of side portions 237 b, 237 c between the top portion 236 a andmiddle portion of the side portions 237 b, 237 c are beveled outwardlyin a widthwise direction as being away from the top portion 236 a. Guiderails 250, 251 are provided in said portions. The guide rails 250, 251extend along a lengthwise direction of the second sliding body 237. Asshown in FIG. 28, the guide rollers 245, 245 provided in the sideportions 236 b, 236 c of the first sliding body 236 are fitted to theguide rails 250, 251. Thus, the second sliding body 237 can berelatively moved in the lengthwise direction of the first sliding body236. Further, as described above, the second sliding body 237 isconnected to the first sliding body 236 via the slide member 244. Thus,the second sliding body 237 is linearly moved relative to the firstsliding body 236 along with sliding movement of the slide member 244.

The medicine receiving portion 237 d is provided in one end of thesecond sliding body 237 in a lengthwise direction thereof (hereinafter,this may be referred to as a leading end, if necessary). The medicinereceiving portion 237 d has a shape of a measure with its top opened atthe top portion 237 a. A bottom surface of the medicine receivingportion 237 d is blocked by a shutter 255. The shutter 255 is providedso as to be slidable in a lengthwise direction of the second slidingbody 237. The medicines, which are received in the medicine receivingportion 237 d, can be dispensed downwardly by opening the shutter 255.

Next, operations of the transfer device 210 will be described in detail.The transfer device 210 can turn each of the medicine delivering units231 about the turning shaft 234 by operating the turn drive motor 225provided on the support part 220. Further, by operating the drive motor235 e provided in each of the medicine delivering units 231, thetransfer device 210 can linearly expand the slide base 235 and the firstand second sliding bodies 236, 237 into a fully expanded state(hereinafter, this state is referred to as an expanded state) as shownin FIG. 25 (a), or pull the first and second sliding bodies 236, 237toward the slide base 235 into an entirely contracted state(hereinafter, this state is referred to as a contracted state) as shownin FIG. 25 (b).

The operations of the medicine delivering unit 231 accompanied by theoperation of the drive motor 235 e are described in detail. As shown inFIG. 25 (b), if the drive motor 235 e operates in the contracted state,the power therefrom is transferred to the drive pulley 235 h by thedrive belt 235 i provided in the back side of the top portion 235 a inthe slide base 235 and the drive pulley 235 h rotates together with theshaft 235 g. Thus, the drive gear 235 j provided on the surface of thetop portion 235 a is rotated. When the top portion 235 a is vieweddownwardly, if the drive gear 235 j rotates counterclockwise, then thedriven rack gear 241 of the first sliding body 236 meshed with the drivegear 235 j is linearly transferred from the base end of the slide base235 toward the leading end. Thus, the first sliding body 236 with thedriven rack gear 241 slides from the base end of the slide base 235toward the leading end.

In this case, as described above, the timing belt 248 wound between thepulleys 242, 243 in the first sliding body 236 is fixed to the beltfixing member 235 k erected on the top portion 235 a of the slide base235. Further, since the slide member 244 is fixed to the timing belt248, the slide member 244 and the timing belt 248 integrally operate.Further, when the transfer device 210 is in the contracted state, theslide member 244 is positioned near the base end of the first slidingbody 236 (i.e. near the pulley 242). Meanwhile, the belt fixing member235 k is positioned near the leading end of the first sliding body 236(i.e. near the pulley 234). That is, the belt fixing member 235 k andthe slide member 244 are obliquely (diagonally) opposed to each otherwith the timing belt. 248 therebetween. Thus, if the first sliding body236 slides from the base end of the slide base 235 toward the leadingend, then the pulley 242 approaches the belt fixing member 235 k.Meanwhile, the slide member 244 moves toward the pulley 243 (i.e. towardthe leading end of the first sliding body 236) along the opening 236 dprovided in the top portion 236 a of the first sliding body 236, whileopposed to the belt fixing member 235 k with the timing belt 248therebetween.

If the slide member 244 moves to the leading end of the first slidingbody 236, the second sliding body 237 integrally provided with the firstsliding body via the slide member 244 also slides to the leading end ofthe first sliding body 236. Then, as shown in FIG. 26, if the slidemember 244 reaches the leading end (the pulley 243) of the first slidingbody 236, both the first and the second sliding bodies 236, 237 becomein a state where the medicine delivering unit 231 is fully expanded inits lengthwise direction of (i.e. in the expanded state).

Meanwhile, when the first and second sliding bodies 236, 237 return tothe slide base 235 from the expanded state shown in FIG. 26 to contractthe overall length of the medicine delivering unit 231 (i.e. thecontracted state), the medicine delivering unit 231 operates in reverseto the above-described operations. That is, in order to achieve thecontracted state, the drive motor 235 e operates such that its rotatingshaft rotates in an opposite direction to the expanded state. Therefore,the power of the drive motor 235 e is transmitted to the drive gear 235j by the timing belt 248, the drive pulley 235 h and the shaft 235 g.The drive gear 235 j rotates in an opposite direction to a rotatingdirection wherein the medicine delivering unit 231 becomes in theexpanded state. That is, when the top portion 235 a is vieweddownwardly, the drive gear 235 j rotates clockwise. Thus, the drivenrack gear 241 meshed with the drive gear 235 j is linearly moved towardthe base end of the slide base 235 and the first sliding body 236 slidesfrom the base end of the slide base 235 toward the leading end.

If the first sliding body 236 slides as described above, the pulley 243positioned at the leading end of the first sliding body 236 approachesthe belt fixing member 235 k. Also, the slide member 244, which isobliquely opposed to the belt fixing member 235 k with the timing belt248 therebetween, moves toward the pulley 242 positioned at the base endof the first sliding body 236 along the opening 236 d provided in thetop portion 236 a of the first sliding body 236. Thus, the secondsliding body 237 connected to the first sliding body 236 via the slidemember 244 also slides toward the base end of the slide base 235 alongwith the first sliding body 236. Then, when the slide member 244 reachesthe base end (the pulley 242) of the first sliding body 236, both thefirst and second sliding bodies 236, 237 become in the contracted statewhere the medicine delivering unit 231 is contracted in its lengthwisedirection.

The transfer device 210 is disposed at the boundary between the mainunit 2 and the sub unit 3 like the transfer device 5 employed in theforegoing embodiment. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 25, thetransfer device 210 is positioned on the bottom surface of the housingconstituting the sub unit 3 by screw-fixing the flange 223 thereto andadjacent to the communicating opening 4 b provided in the wall surface 4a forming a boundary between the sub unit 3 and the main unit 2. Thus,in the transfer device 210, if the medicine delivering unit 231 isexpanded when the lengthwise direction of the medicine delivering unit231 is orthogonal to the wall surface 4 a as shown in FIG. 25, thesecond sliding body 237 in one of the medicine delivering units 231(hereinafter, this may be referred to as a delivering unit 231 a)protrudes beyond the wall surface 4 a toward the main unit 2. Further,the second-sliding body 237 of the other of the medicine deliveringunits 231 (hereinafter, this may be referred to as a delivering unit 231b) protrudes in the sub unit 3 in a direction opposite theabove-described direction of the medicine delivering unit 231 a.

If the second sliding body 237 of the medicine delivering unit 231 aprotrudes toward the main unit 2, the sub collecting hopper 87 connectedto the medicine preparing part 80 of the main unit 2 is positioned underthe medicine receiving portion 237 d provided in the second sliding body237. Thus, if the shutter 255 of the medicine delivering unit 231positioned in the main unit 2 is opened in the state shown in FIG. 25(a), the medicine received in the medicine receiving portion 237 d canbe dispensed to the medicine preparing part 80 of the main unit 2. Onthe other hand, if the second sliding body 237 of the medicinedelivering unit 231 b protrudes in the sub unit 3, the medicinereceiving portion 237 d is positioned just below the sub hopper 135provided in the sub unit 3. Thus, if the medicines are dispensed fromthe sub medicine standby part 130 in such a state, then the medicinesare inputted to the medicine receiving portion 237 d.

Next, operations of a medicine dispensing system 1 employing thetransfer device 210 will be described focusing on a medicinetransferring sequence by the transfer device 210. As described above inthe foregoing embodiment, the medicine dispensing system 1 dispenses themedicines dispensed from the main storage part 20 or the manualdistributing unit 23 according to the prescription to each of thesections 81 a of the section forming body 81 provided in the medicinepreparing part 80 one pack at a time.

When the medicines to be prescribed are in sub unit 3, the medicines aredispensed from each of the cassettes 32 of the sub storage part 120 onepack at a time. The medicines dispensed from the sub storage part 120are gathered in the sub medicine standby part 130. Meanwhile, themedicine delivering units 231 a, 231 b of the transfer device 210 gointo an expanded state. Thus, the medicine receiving portion 237 dprovided in the second sliding body 237 of one of the medicinedelivering units 231 a, 231 b (the medicine delivering unit 231 b inFIG. 25 (a)) is positioned under the sub hopper 135. In this state, ifthe medicines are dispensed from sub medicine standby part 130, themedicines for one pack dispensed from the sub storage part 120 arereceived in the medicine receiving portion 237 d.

If the medicines are inputted into the medicine receiving portion 237 d,the medicine delivering unit 231 a, 231 b goes into a contracted stateas shown in FIG. 25 (b). Then, the turn drive gear 226 provided in thebase part 222 of the transfer device 210 operates to turn the medicinedelivering units 231 a, 231 b about the turning shaft 234 by 180degrees. Then, the medicine delivering units 231 a, 231 b goes into theexpanded state. Thus, the medicine delivering unit 231 b receiving themedicines from the sub unit 3 protrudes into the main unit 2 and thusthe medicine receiving portion 237 d is positioned above the subcollecting hoper 87 of the main unit 2. Further, the second sliding body237 of the other medicine delivering unit 231 a protrudes below the subhopper 135 and is allowed to receive the next medicines for one pack.

If the medicine delivering units 231 b, 231 a are in an expanded statein the main unit and sub unit 3 respectively as described above, thenthe shutter 255 provided in the medicine receiving portion 237 d of themedicine delivering unit 231 b is opened and the medicines received fromthe sub unit 3 are dispensed to each of the sections 81 a of the sectionforming body 81 provided in the medicine preparing part 80. Meanwhile,medicines for one pack are inputted from the sub medicine standby part130 to the medicine receiving portion 237 d of the medicine deliveringunit 231 a.

In case the medicine dispensing system 1 employs transfer device 210,the medicine dispensed in the sub unit 3 can be transferred to the mainunit 2 by repeatedly expanding the medicine delivering units 231 a, 231b sequentially and turning them in the expanded state. Thus, when atransfer device 210 is employed, the medicines dispensed in the sub unit3 can be transferred to the main unit 2 and can be packed at themedicine packing part 21 together with the medicines dispensed in themain unit 2, similarly to the case of employing the transfer device 5.

As described above, since the transfer device 210 can turn the medicinedelivering unit 231 in the contracted state, a space necessary forturning the medicine delivering unit 231 can be minimized. Further,since the transfer device 210 can expand the medicine delivering unit231 into the expanded state, the medicines can be received or dispensedat a position apart from the transfer device 210. Thus, when thetransfer device 210 is employed, the space inside the medicinedispensing system 1 can be effectively used and the medicine dispensingsystem 1 can be compactly configured.

The medicine dispensing system 1 may employ the above-described transferdevice 5, 210. Further, the medicine dispensing system may employ atransfer device 300 shown in FIGS. 32 to 35. The transfer device 300will be now described in detail with reference to the drawings. As shownin FIG. 33, the transfer device 300 has a base part 310 and a turn part330 (conveyance part). The base part 310 has a base plate 311 having aflat plate shape and a drive unit 312. The drive unit 312 is provided ata back side of the base plate 311. The drive unit 312 has a drive motor313 and a gear box 315 and serves as a direction adjusting meansconfigured to adjust the direction of the turn part 330.

The gear box 315, which is positioned at an approximate central portionof the base plate 311, has a turn drive gear 316 and a turn driven gear317 therein. The turn drive gear 316 of the gear box 315 is fixed to arotating shaft of the drive motor 313. Further, the turn driven gear 316is meshed with the turn drive gear 316. The turn driven gear 317 isfixed to a turning shaft 318 fixed to the turn part 330. Further, theturning shaft 318 is erected on an approximately central portion of thebase part 311 while being rotatably supported thereon. Thus, as the turnmotor 313 operates to rotate, the turn drive gear 316, the turn drivengear 317, the turning shaft 318 and the turn part 330 rotate together.

The base plate 311 has a dispensing opening 320 at its approximatecenter portion in its widthwise direction and at its one end in itslengthwise direction. Further, a contact member 321 is provided on asurface of the base plate 311 in a position corresponding to thedispensing opening 320. The contact member 321 has an opening 322communicating with the dispensing opening 320. Further, as shown in FIG.32, a pair of guide rails 323, 323 are fixed on the surface of the baseplate 311 with a predetermined gap therebetween. The guide rails 323,323 are curved members having a circular arc shape with a predeterminedcurvature. Thus, a groove 325 is formed between the guide rails 323,323. The guide rails 323, 323 are disposed convexly toward one side inthe widthwise direction of the base plate 311 (i.e. toward the left sidein the example illustrated in FIG. 32).

Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 32, the turn part 330 has a cover 331 whichhas a rectangular shape in a plan view. Further, as shown in FIG. 33,component members of the turn part 330 including medicine containers340, 340 (medicine delivery container) are accommodated inside the cover331. More specifically, the cover 331 is opened at its bottom side andis disposed above the base part 310. A receiving opening 331 d isprovided in a top surface 331 a of the cover at one end of the cover ina lengthwise direction thereof. The cover 331 is disposed above the baseplate 311 in such a manner that one end of the cover with the receivingopening 331 d is opposite the dispensing opening 320 provided in thebase plate 111 in the lengthwise direction of the top surface 331 a andthe top surface 331 a is approximately parallel to the base plate 311.

The turning shaft 318 is integrally provided in the cover 331 at theapproximately central portion of the top surface 331 a. The turningshaft 318 is erected from the top surface 331 a of the cover 331 andprotrudes downward. The turning shaft 318 passes through an approximatecenter portion of the base plate 311 and extends into the gear box 315provided in the back side of the base plate 311. The turning shaft isrotatably supported relative to the base plate 311. The turn driven gear317 is coupled to the turning shaft 318 in the gear box 315. Thus, asthe drive motor 313 operates to rotate the turn drive gear 316, thepower therefrom rotates the turn driven gear 317 and the turning shaft318 together and thus the turn part 330 including the cover 331 turnsabout the turning shaft 318.

As shown in FIG. 33, guide rails 332, 332 are provided in a middleportion of the turning shaft 318. Further, as shown in FIG. 32, theguide rails 332, 332 are provided to linearly extend in a lengthwisedirection of the cover 331. The turning shaft 318 is fitted between theguide rails 332, 332 and the guide rails 332, 332 are fixed as supportedby fixed supporting member 334 fixed to the middle portion of theturning shaft 318. Accordingly, the guide rails 332, 332 become integralwith the turning shaft 318 and can rotate about the turning shaft 318.

Further, guide rails 333, 333 are attached to an inside of the cover 331to linearly extend at long sides 331 b, 331 c formed along a lengthwisedirection of the cover 331. The guide rails 333, 333 are opposite theguide rails 332, 332. The guide rails 333, 333 are combined with theopposite guide rails 322, 322 respectively to serve as a guide memberfor guiding medicine containers 340, 340, that will be described indetail below.

As shown in FIG. 32, timing pulleys 335, 336 are coupled to both ends ofthe cover 331 in a lengthwise direction thereof and at an approximatemiddle portion of the cover 331 in a widthwise direction thereof. Thetiming pulleys 335, 336 are provided adjacent to both ends of the guiderail 332 in the lengthwise direction thereof. Each of the timing pulleys335, 336 can rotate freely about respective shafts, which areapproximately vertical to the top surface 331 a. A timing belt 337 iswound between the timing pulleys 335, 336.

The medicine container 340 is a box-shaped member with an opening at itstop surface. As shown in FIG. 33, a shutter 342 is provided at a bottomsurface of the medicine container 340. The medicines accommodated in themedicine container 340 can be dispensed downward when the shutter 342 isopened. The shutter 342 can be opened when a contact portion 342 a ispressed and slid in a lengthwise direction of the medicine container340. The shutter 342 is biased in a direction of closing the bottom ofthe medicine container 340 at normal times to thereby block the bottomof the medicine container. In the cover 331, the medicine container 340is positioned between a pair of the guide rails 332, 333, which areprovided at one side or the other side in a widthwise direction of thecover 331 relative to the turning shaft 318.

More specifically, the transfer device 300 has two medicine containers340. One of the medicine containers 340 is provided at one side in awidthwise direction of the cover 331 relative to the turning shaft 318,while the other medicine container is provided at the other side in awidthwise direction of the cover 331 relative to the turning shaft. Sidesurfaces 340 a, 340 b of the medicine container 340 are located oppositeguide rails 332, 333 and disposed between the guide rails 332, 333.Roller attaching members 343, 345 are attached to the side surfaces 340a, 340 b. The roller attaching member 343 has: a fixing portion 343 afixed to the side surface 340 a; a vertical portion 343 b oppositethereto; and a horizontal portion 343 c disposed between the fixingportion 343 a and the vertical portion 343 b and approximately parallelto the base plate 311.

A guide roller 346 is rotatably provided on the vertical portion 343 b.The guide roller 346 is fitted to the guide rail 332 arranged along theturning shaft 318. Further, the sandwiching member 344 is mounted on thevertical portion 343 b and the timing belt 337 is fitted between thesandwiching member 344 and the vertical portion 343 b. This allows themedicine container 340 to be connected to the timing belt 338.

In this case, the transfer device 300 includes two medicine containers340, 340 as described above. The medicine container 340 of said twomedicine containers (a left medicine container 340 in an exampleillustrated in FIGS. 32 and 33) (hereinafter, this may be referred to asa drive side medicine container 340) has a guide roller 347 on thehorizontal part 343 c. The guide roller 347 is rotatably provided at ashaft approximately vertically fixed to the horizontal portion 343 c andprotruding downward therefrom. The guide roller 347 is fitted to thegroove 325 formed between the guide rails 323, 323 provided on thesurface of the base plate 311.

Meanwhile, a roller attaching member 345 is attached to the side surface340 b of the medicine container 340. The roller attaching member 345has: a fixing portion 345 a fixed to the side surface 340 b; a verticalportion 345 b opposed thereto; and a horizontal portion 345 c connectingthe fixing portion 345 a and the vertical portion 345 b. The verticalportion 345 b is also opposite the guide rail 333 attached to the longside 331 b, 331 c of the cover 331. A guide roller 348 is rotatablyattached to the vertical portion 345 b and is fitted to the guide rail333.

The transfer device 300 is configured as described above and ispositioned as inserted to the communication opening 4 b of the wallsurface 4 a between the main unit 2 and the sub unit 3. Specifically,the transfer device 300 is horizontally disposed with the base part 310facing downward and the turn part 330 facing upward. Further, thetransfer device 300 is disposed such that the receiving opening 331 dprovided in the cover 331 is located at the sub unit 3 and thedispensing opening 320 provided in the base plate 311 is located at themain unit 2.

Next, operation of the transfer device 300 will be described. Thetransfer device 300 can turn the turn part 330 about the turning shaft318 while moving two medicine containers 340 provided in the turn part330 along the guide rails 332, 333 by the power produced from the drivemotor 313 provided in the base part 310. More specifically, if the drivemotor 313 operates, the turn drive gear 316 coupled to the rotatingshaft of the drive motor 313 and the turn driven gear 317 meshed withthe turn drive gear 316 rotate. Thus, the turning shaft 318 with theturn driven gear 317 rotates and thus the entire turn part 330 rotateabout the turning shaft 318.

In this case, as described above, the guide roller 347, which isrotatable about the shaft protruding downward, is provided in one of thetwo medicine containers 340, 340 (the drive side medicine container340). The guide roller 347 is fitted to the groove 325 formed betweenthe guide rails 323, 323 in the base part 310. Further, as shown in FIG.32, the groove 325 is curved convexly toward one side in the widthdirection like the guide rails 323, 323. Thus, movements of the driveside medicine container 340 are restricted by the groove 325. Further,other component members for constituting the turn part 330 are assembledto the cover 331 like the drive side medicine container 340 and thoseare integrally rotatble about the turning shaft 318. Thus, when the turnpart 330 rotates clockwise by the operation of the drive motor 313 in astate shown in FIG. 32, the entire turn part 330 is turned about theturning shaft 318 while guided by the groove 325 and the guide roller347 and the drive side medicine container 340 advance toward the one endof the groove 325 (upward in FIG. 32). Also, as shown in FIG. 34, whenthe turn part 330 is turned at a predetermined angle about the turningshaft 318, the drive side medicine container 340 reach the vicinity ofthe timing pulley 336 disposed at the one end of the groove 325 (upperside in FIG. 34).

Further, as described above, the drive side medicine container 340 andthe other medicine container 340 without the guide roller 347(hereinafter, this may be referred to as a driven side medicinecontainer 340) are fixed to the timing belt 337 respectively by thesandwiching member 344 attached to the vertical portion 343 b of theroller attaching member 343. Thus, when the drive side medicinecontainer 340 advance toward one end of the groove 325 along with theturning of the turn part 330, the driven side medicine container 340advances toward the other end of the groove 325, that is, toward thetiming pulley 335.

Then, when the driven side medicine container 340 reaches the dispensingopening 320 provided in the base plate 311 as shown in FIG. 34, thecontact portion 342 a of the shutter 342 disposed at the bottom surfaceof the driven side medicine container 340 is brought into contact withthe contact member 321 attached to the surface of the base plate 311.Thus, the shutter 342 is pushed and opened and thus the medicinestherein are dispensed downward, that is, toward the sub collectinghopper 87 in the main unit 2. Meanwhile, in the state shown in FIG. 34,the drive side medicine container 340 reaches a position correspondingto the receiving opening 331 d provided in the top surface 331 a of thecover 331. Thus, in the state shown in FIG. 34, the medicine dispensedin the sub unit 3 can be inputted to the drive side medicine containerthrough the sub hopper 135.

Meanwhile, in the states shown in FIGS. 32 and 34, if the drive motor313 provided in the base part 310 operates so as to rotate the rotatingshaft in a direction opposite to the above, the turn part 330 rotatescounterclockwise about the turning shaft 318 (when viewed downwardly).Accordingly, the drive side medicine container 340 and the guide roller347 attached thereto advance toward the dispensing opening 320 (downwardin the state shown in FIGS. 32 and 34) while guided by the groove 325.Then, as shown in FIG. 35, if the turn part 330 rotates counterclockwiseabout the turning shaft 318 at a predetermined angle, the drive sidemedicine container 340 reaches a position corresponding to thedispensing opening 320. Thus, the shutter 342 disposed at an insideportion of the drive side medicine container 340 is opened and themedicines inputted thereto are dispensed to the sub collecting hopper 87in the main unit 2 disposed below the shutter. Meanwhile, the drivenside medicine container 340 reaches the position corresponding to thereceiving opening 331 d concomitantly with the operation of the driveside medicine container 340. Thus, the medicines dispensed in the subunit 3 can be inputted to the driven side medicine container 340.

The above-described transfer device 300 is configured to transfer themedicines between the main unit 2 and the sub unit 3 by turning theentire turn part 330 about the turning shaft 318 and by reciprocatingeach of the medicine containers 340, 340 in a lengthwise direction ofthe turn part 330 by means of power produced by the turning movement.Thus, when employing the transfer device 300, it is possible to providea medicine dispensing system 1 that can transfer the medicines dispensedin the sub unit 3 to the main unit 3 to pack and dispense the sametogether with the medicines dispensed in the main unit 3, similarly tothe case of employing the transfer device 5, 10.

The transfer device 300 obtains power for the turning movement of theturn part 330 and the reciprocating movement of the medicine containers340 from the drive motor 313 provided in the base part 310. However, thepresent invention should not be limited to such configuration. Forexample, a power source for turning the turn part 330 and a power sourcefor reciprocating the medicine containers 340 may be separatelyprovided.

More specifically, the transfer device 300 may be configured such thatthe guide roller 347 provided in the drive side medicine container 340and the guide rail 323 attached to the base plate 311 are omitted and atleast one of the timing pulleys 335, 336 is rotated by a power sourcedifferent from that of the drive motor 313. According to suchconfiguration, the turn part 330 is turned by the drive motor 313, andthe timing belt 337 wound between the timing pulleys 335, 336 isoperated by the separately-provided power source, thereby reciprocatingthe medicine containers 340 between the dispensing opening 320 andreceiving opening 331 d.

The medicine dispensing system 1 is not limited to employing theabove-described transfer device 5, 210, 300 and may employ, for example,a transfer device 400 shown in FIG. 36. The transfer device 400 isconfigured similar to the above-described transfer device 5 in that themedicine dispensed in the sub unit 3 are transferred to the main unit 2by means of an airflow. However, a device configuration and medicinetransferring processes of the transfer device 400 are different fromthose of the transfer device 5. Specifically, the transfer device 400has a medicine receiving part 401 for receiving the medicine dispensedin the sub unit 3, and a medicine dispensing part 402 for receiving anddispensing the medicines transferred from the sub unit 3. The medicinereceiving part 401 and the medicine dispensing part 402 are a hollowmember having a shape of a measure capable of storing medicines.Further, the transfer device 400 has a forward pipe line 403 configuredto connect the medicine receiving part 401 and the medicine dispensingpart 402.

The blower 405 is connected to the medicine receiving part 401 through apipe 406. Further, a blower shutter 407 is provided at a connectionportion between the medicine receiving part 401 and the pipe 406. Thus,when the blower 406 operates and the blower shutter 407 is opened, anairflow can be produced through the pipe 406 to the medicine receivingpart 401.

A pump 408 is connected to the medicine dispensing part 402 through anexhaust pipe line 410. The transfer device 400 can introduce air intothe medicine receiving part 401 through the pipe 406 and produce airflowflowing through the forward pipe line 403 from the medicine storing part40 toward the medicine dispensing part 402 by operation of blower 405.Further, the transfer device 400 can produce airflow flowing through theexhaust pipe line 410 from inside the medicine dispensing part 402toward an outside portion thereof.

As shown in FIG. 37, the medicine dispensing part 402 is configured tobe surrounded by peripheral surfaces and to be closed at a top surface.The medicine dispensing part 402 has an introducing opening 412 and anexhaust opening 413 at one of the peripheral surfaces of the medicinedispensing part 402 (hereinafter, this may be referred to as aperipheral surface 411) and a dispensing opening 415 at its bottomsurface 414. The introducing opening 412 and the exhausting opening 413are vertically juxtaposed. The forward pipe line 403 is connected to theintroducing opening 412, while the exhaust pipe line 410 is connected tothe exhaust opening 413. As shown in FIG. 38, the forward pipe line 403has a staying portion 416 at its end portion, to which the introducingopening 412 is connected. The staying portion 416 is formed such that aperipheral surface of the forward pipe line 403 becomes thinner inthickness toward a forward end. The forward pipe line 403 is insertedand connected to the introducing opening 412 with the staying portion416 facing downward. Thus, the medicines transferred through the forwardpipe line 403 can stay in the staying portion 416.

Further, the forward pipe line 403 has air orifices 417 near themedicine dispensing part 402 and apart from an inserting portion to theintroducing opening 412. The air orifices 417 are orifices forexhausting the airflow flowing within the forward pipe line 403. The airorifices 417 are much smaller than the medicines and are exposed outsidethe medicine dispensing part 402. Thus, even if the end portion of theforward pipe line 403 with the staying portion 416 becomes closed, theairflow flowing from the medicine receiving part 401 toward the medicinedispensing part 402 in the forward pipe line 403 can be produced throughthe operation of the blower 405.

As shown in FIGS. 37 and 38, the medicine dispensing part 402 isprovided with a shutter 420. As shown in FIG. 39, the shutter 420includes a metallic plate having an L-shaped cross-section and aninclined plate integrally formed therewith. The shutter 420 isconfigured to open and close the introducing opening 412 and the exhaustopening 413 is provided in the peripheral surface 411 as well as thedispensing opening 415 formed on a bottom surface 414. Morespecifically, the shutter 420 includes: a first shutter surface 421; asecond shutter surface 422 perpendicular to the first shutter surface421; and an inclined surface 423 (i.e., a partitioning means) inclinedrelative to the first and second shutter surfaces 421, 422. Further, thesecond shutter surface 422 is provided with a protruding portion 425which slightly protrudes beyond an intersection between the firstshutter surface 421 and the second shutter surface 422.

The shutter 420 is positioned in such a manner that an upper end of thefirst shutter surface 421 is fitted to a groove 426 formed on a topsurface of the medicine dispensing part 402 and the protrusion 425, andan edge portion 427 of the second shutter surface 422 are fitted toguide pulleys 432, 433 provided on the bottom surface 414 of themedicine dispensing part 402. Further, the shutter 420 is inserted toslits 430, 431 that are obliquely formed in another peripheral surfaces428, 429 approximately perpendicular to the peripheral surface 414 ofthe medicine dispensing part 402. The shutter 420 is configured suchthat the first and second shutter surfaces 421, 422 can freely slidealong the peripheral surface 411 and the bottom surface 414 of themedicine dispensing part 402 and the inclined surface 423 can freelyslide as obliquely traversing an internal space of the medicinedispensing part 402 by a power from a power source (not shown).

In the shutter 420, a length in the above-described slide direction (alength in a lengthwise direction) is set to be about twice the width ofthe medicine dispensing part 402 (a widthwise length of the peripheralsurface 411). The first and second shutter surfaces 421, 422 and theinclined surface 423 are configured differently in one area (in thiscase, this may be referred to as an area A) and the other area (in thiscase, this may be referred to as an area B) relative to half a length ina lengthwise direction. Specifically, the area A of the first shuttersurface 421 is provided with two openings 435, 436, while the area B isnot provided with any opening. The openings 435, 436 are verticallyjuxtaposed. The openings 435, 436 are positioned in a position wherethey can communicate with the introducing opening 412 and the exhaustopening 413 formed on the peripheral surface 411 of the medicinedispensing part 402 respectively. Further, an air-permeable filter 440is provided in a position corresponding to the opening 436. Meanwhile,the area B of the first shutter surface 421 (e.g., a forward isolationportion 442), which is a portion for blocking the forward pipe line 403,is provided with a buffer material 441. The butter material 441 buffersan impact exerted on the medicine due to a collision of the medicineflowing in through the forward pipe line 403 while the introducingopening 412 is blocked by the first shutter surface 421. The buffermaterial 441 may include a rubber, a sponge, a foamed styrofoam, etc.

As shown in FIG. 40( b), the area B of the second shutter surface 422 isprovided with an opening 437 which communicates with the dispensingopening 415 provided on the bottom surface 414 of the medicinedispensing part 402, while the area A is not provided with any opening.As shown in FIG. 40( a), the area B of the inclined surface 423 isprovided with an opening 438, while the area A is not provided with anyopening.

The shutter 420 is configured as described above. Thus, when the area Aof the shutter 420 is positioned within the medicine dispensing part 402and the area B is outwardly exposed as shown in FIG. 37( a), theinternal space of the medicine dispensing part 402 is partitioned intotwo sections by the inclined surface 423 as shown in FIG. 38. Therefore,the forward pipe line 403 and the exhaust pipe line 410 communicate witheach other through the introducing opening 412 and the exhaust opening413 in the space above the inclined surface 423. Further, the dispensingopening 415 is blocked by the second shutter surface 422. Thus, themedicine transferred from the main unit 2 through the forward pipe line403 is allowed to be received within the space above the inclinedsurface 423 in the medicine dispensing part 402.

When the area B of the shutter 420 is positioned within the medicinedispensing part 402 as shown in FIG. 37( b), the introducing opening 412and the exhaust opening 413 are blocked by the first shutter surface421. Meanwhile, the medicine stored within the medicine dispensing part402 is capable of being dispensed from the dispensing opening 415through the openings 437, 438 provided on the second shutter surface 422and the inclined surface 423.

Next, operation of the transfer device 400 will be described. Thetransfer device 400 can transfer the medicine from the sub unit 3 to themain unit 2 by sequentially repeating a medicine transferring operationfor transferring the medicine dispensed to the medicine receiving part401 in the sub unit 3 to the vicinity of the medicine dispensing part402 and a medicine introducing operation for introducing the medicinetransferred by the medicine transferring operation into the medicinedispensing part 402.

When performing the medicine transferring operation, in the transferdevice 400, a position of the shutter 420 is adjusted such that the areaB is positioned in the position of the medicine dispensing part 402 asshown in FIG. 37( b). Therefore, a distal end of the forward pipe line403 is blocked by the first shutter surface 421 of the shutter 420. Whenperforming the medicine transferring operation, the blower 405 operatesin such a state. Thus, an airflow flowing from the medicine receivingpart 401 toward the medicine dispensing part 402 is produced within theforward pipe line 403. In this case, the airflow flowing within theforward pipe line 403 is enough to transfer the medicine. A flow rateand a flow velocity of the airflow are not so great. If the airflow isproduced within the forward pipe line 403 as described above, themedicine, which is dispensed to the medicine receiving part 401 of thesub unit 3, flows to the main unit 2 to thereby be retained in thestaying portion 416 provided in the vicinity of the introducing opening412 of the medicine dispensing part 402. Thus, the medicine transferringoperation is completed.

If the medicine transferring operation is completed as described above,the transfer device 400 proceeds with the medicine introducingoperation. When performing the medicine introducing operation, as shownin FIG. 37( a), the position of the shutter 420 is adjusted such thatthe area A of the shutter 420 reaches a position corresponding to themedicine dispensing part 402. Thus, the introducing opening 412 and theexhausting opening 413 of the medicine dispensing part 402, which hasbeen blocked by the first shutter surface 421, are opened, while thedispensing opening 415 is closed by the second shutter surface 422.Further, the internal space of the medicine dispensing part 402 ispartitioned by the inclined surface 423. In this state, the pump 408connected to the exhaust pipe line 410 operates and therefore the airwithin the medicine dispensing part 402 is sucked and exhausted. As aresult, the medicine, which has been transferred to the staying portion416 in the vicinity of the introducing opening 412 through thepreviously-performed medicine transferring operation, is introduced intothe medicine dispensing part 402. The medicine introduced into themedicine dispensing part 402 is inhibited from flowing into the exhaustpipe line 410 by the filter 440 provided on the first shutter surface421 of the shutter 420 and therefore stays within the medicinedispensing part 402. If the medicine transferred through the forwardpipe line 403 is introduced into the medicine dispensing part 402 asdescribed above, the medicine introducing operation is completed.

As described above, the transfer device 400 first transfers the medicinefrom the medicine dispensing part 402 to the medicine receiving part 401through the medicine transferring operation and then can introduce themedicine transferred as such into the medicine receiving part 401through the medicine introducing operation. Accordingly, in case ofemploying the transfer device 400, it is possible to deliver themedicine from the medicine dispensing part 402 to medicine receivingpart 401 by repeating the medicine transferring operation and themedicine introducing operation, similar to the case of employing saidtransfer device 5, 210, 300.

Further, in the case of employing the transfer device 400, the medicinetransferring operation and the medicine introducing operation areperformed independently. Accordingly, the flow velocity of the airflow,which flows within the forward pipe line 403 by the operation of theblower 405 during the medicine transferring operation, is sufficient totransfer the medicine. It does not need to increase excessively. Morespecifically, the flow velocity of the airflow, which flows within theforward pipe line 403 by operation of the blower 405 in the medicinetransferring operation, is equal to or lower than the flow velocity ofthe airflow flowing by the operation of the pump 408 during the medicineintroducing operation. Accordingly, in the case of employing thetransfer device 400, it is possible to prevent the medicine frombreaking or chipping due to the collision between the medicines whichare transferred from the main unit 2 to the sub unit 3 or between themedicines and the shutter 420.

Further, in the above-described transfer device 400, although themedicine transferred in the medicine transferring operation collidesagainst the shutter 420, an impact on the medicine is buffered by thebuffer material 441 provided on the shutter 420. Thus, according to theabove-described configuration, it is possible to prevent the medicinefrom breaking or chipping due to the collision against the shutter 420in the medicine transferring operation. Further, it is illustrated inthe present embodiment that the buffer material 441 prevents themedicine from breaking or chipping. However, the present inventionshould not be limited to such a configuration. The buffer material 441may not be employed.

As described above, the transfer device 400 has inclined surface 423 atthe shutter 420 and can partition the internal space of the medicinedispensing part 402 by the inclined surface 423. Further, the inclinedsurface 423 is integrally formed in the shutter 420 and partitions theinternal space of the medicine dispensing part 402 along with the openstate of the introducing opening 412 or the exhaust opening 413.Therefore, a size of a space in which the exhaust pipe line 410 and theforward pipe line 403 communicates with each other (e.g., a space abovethe inclined surface 423) can be sufficiently smaller than a size of theinternal space of the medicine dispensing part 402. Accordingly, thetransfer device 400 can introduce the medicine transferred through theforward pipe line 403 into the medicine dispensing part 402 withoutsignificantly increasing an output (an exhaust capacity) of the pump 408during the medicine introducing operation. Further, since there is noneed to significantly increase the output of the pump 408 during themedicine introducing operation, the medicine is not subjected to greatimpact when introduced into the medicine dispensing part 402. As aresult, it is possible to more surely prevent the medicine from breakingor chipping.

It is illustrated that the transfer device 400 has inclined surface 423integrally mounted to the shutter 420. However, the present inventionshould not be limited to such a configuration. The inclined surface 423may be configured to operate independently of the shutter 420. Further,the transfer device 400 has the inclined surface 423. However, thetransfer device may not include the inclined surface 423.

As described above, the inclined surface 423 is disposed opposite theintroducing opening 412 and the exhausting opening 413. Further, in themedicine dispensing part 402, a distance between the inclined surface423 and the exhaust opening 413 positioned at downstream of the airflowflowing during transferring or introducing the medicine is narrower thana distance between the inclined surface 423 and the introducing opening412 positioned upstream of the airflow. Thus, if the inclined surface423 is disposed as described above, the air introduced from theintroducing opening 413 into the medicine dispensing part 402 impingesagainst the inclined surface 423 and then changes its direction to flowsmoothly toward the exhaust opening 413.

Further, the above-described transfer device 400 is configured to headthe air exhausted from the exhaust pipe line 410 outside. However, thepresent invention should not be limited to such a configuration.Specifically, as shown in FIG. 41, the exhaust pipe line 410 may beconnected to the medicine receiving part 401 and the medicine dispensingpart 402 in the same manner as the forward pipe line 403. According tosuch a configuration, a circulation system, which circulates the airbetween the medicine receiving part 401 and the medicine dispensing part402, is formed.

Further, as shown in FIG. 41, when the exhaust pipe line 410 isconnected to the medicine receiving part 401 to form the circulationsystem, the air circulates within the closed space generating heat.Therefore, in case of dealing with medicines which can be denatured byheat and connecting the exhaust pipe line 410 to the medicine receivingpart 401, it is preferred that a cooling means for cooling the air maybe disposed at a suitable place such as at a halfway point of theexhaust pipe line 410, and that the circulation system may be configuredto appropriately introduce external air with low temperature.

The above-described transfer device 400 has a flow path, which runs fromthe medicine receiving part 401 through the forward pipe line 403 andthe medicine dispensing part 402 to the exhaust pipe line 410 andproduces airflow within the flow path along with the transfer of themedicine between the medicine receiving part 401 and medicine dispensingpart 402. Further, similar to the case where the exhaust pipe line 410is connected to the medicine receiving part 401 as shown in FIG. 41, theairflow is produced within the circulating flow path connecting themedicine receiving part 401 and medicine dispensing part 402 with theforward pipe line 403 and the exhaust pipe line 410. Since theabove-described transfer device 400 includes the filter 440 provided onthe medicine dispensing part 402 constituting a part of the flow path,it is preferred that the transfer device is configured to exactly detecta block of the filter 440 and to perform maintenance therefor. Thus, thetransfer device 400 may include a flow-amount detecting means fordetecting the amount of air flowing within the flow path and a cloggingjudging means. When the flow-amount detected by the flow-amountdetecting means is less than a predetermined amount, the cloggingjudging means may decide that the filter 440 is clogged.

Further, in case of providing the flow-amount detecting means to judgethe clogging of the filter 440 as described above, the medicine undertransfer to the medicine dispensing part 402 provided in the main unit 2may be transferred by increasing the output of one or both of the blower405 and the pump 408 when the clogging occurs and then to stoptransferring the medicine or notify the clogging of the filter 440. Morespecifically, the medicine under transfer may be completely transferredby increasing the output of one or both of the blower 405 and the pump408 upon a condition that the flow-amount detected by the flow-amountdetecting means decreases. Thereafter, based on the above-mentionedincreases in the output of the blower 405 or the pump 408, the cloggingof the filter 440 may be decided by the clogging judging means ortransferring the next medicine may not be performed.

It is illustrated in the above-described embodiment that the filter 440is provided in the flow path along which the airflow flows during thetransfer of the medicine. However, the present invention should not belimited to such a configuration. A separate filter may be provided atany other place or the filter 440 may not be provided.

The medicine dispensing system 1 is not limited to employing thetransfer device 5, 210, 300, 400 and may employ, for example a transferdevice 500 shown in FIG. 42. The transfer device 500 includes: a forwardpipe line 502; a blower 504 (an airflow producing means); a medicinedispensing part 510 (a delivering part); and a medicine receiving part511. The transfer device 500 is configured similarly to theabove-described transfer device 400 in that medicines are transferred bythe airflow produced within the forward pipe line 502 by an operation ofthe blower 504. However, the transfer device 500 is configureddifferently from the above-described transfer device 400 in that it doesnot need the pump 408 or a pipe such as the exhaust pipe line 410 forexhausting the airflow introduced into the medicine dispensing part 510.

More specifically, the forward pipe line 502 of the transfer device 500includes a pipe which connects a main storage part 20 and a sub storagepart 120. The blower 504 is disposed so as to produce airflow from thesub unit 3 toward the main unit 2 within the forward pipe line 502.

As shown in FIGS. 44 to 47, the medicine dispensing part 510 isconfigured such that a delivery container 512 connected to the forwardpipe line 502 is housed in a box-shaped outer container 530. Thedelivery container 512 is a hollow box-shaped member that is surroundedby side surfaces 512 a to 512 d. The delivery container includes ashutter 514 and a buffer means 522. The delivery container 512 includesan upper container body 524 and a lower container body 526, which arevertically combined. An inside portion of the delivery container 512 canbe swept by removing the upper container body 524 of an upper side fromthe lower container body 526, if necessary.

As shown in FIGS. 46 and 47, the upper container body 524 is a hollowmember constituting an upper portion of the delivery container 512.Further, the upper container body 524 is opened at a bottom portioncoupled to the lower container body 526. When the delivery container 512is assembled, the forward pipe line 502 is connected to a surfaceconstituting the side surface 512 a of the upper container body 524 viaa joint pipe 540. The joint pipe 540 includes a pipe more flexible thanthe forward pipe line 502, such as a rubber pipe.

Further, a buffer means 522 is provided at the upper container body 524.The buffer means 522 includes a plate member, on which an elasticmaterial such as rubber is provided or coated, or a rubber plate elasticin itself. The buffer means 522 is disposed opposite the surface 512 aconnected to the forward pipe line 502 within the upper container body524. Specifically, the buffer means 522 is obliquely downwardly disposedacross the side surface 512 d and the top surface 512 e.

In the upper container body 524, a surface, which crosses the surface(the side surface 512 a) connected to the forward pipe line 502 (in thepresent embodiment, approximately crossing at a right angle) andconstitutes the side surfaces 512 b, 512 c when the delivery container512 is assembled, is formed with a plurality of exhausting holes 524 p.In this case, the side surfaces 512 b, 512 c are surfaces laterallydisposed relative to the airflow introduced into the delivery container512 through the forward pipe line 502. Further, the exhausting holes 524p are disposed below a height of connection to the forward pipe line502. More specifically, the exhausting holes 524 p are disposed below acentral axis LU centrally extending through an opening area of theforward pipe line 502. Thus, the airflow introduced through the forwardpipe line 502 flows downward without being stagnant or forming a vortexwithin the upper section of the delivery container 512. Also, theairflow is directed so as to flow in a direction crossing direction theairflow is introduced into the delivery container 512.

As shown in FIGS. 46 and 47, the lower container body 526 is a hollowmember constituting a lower portion of the delivery container 512. Abottom portion 518 of the lower container body 526 is formed with adispensing opening 520 for dispensing the medicine toward the medicinepreparing part 80. Further, the lower container body 526 is open at atop portion coupled to the upper container body 524. Accordingly, thelower container body 526 is integrally coupled to the upper containerbody 524 to thereby form a hollow internal space 516 within the upperand lower container bodies 524, 526.

In the lower container body 526, a surface, which constitutes the sidesurfaces 512 b, 512 c when the delivery container 512 is assembled, isformed with a plurality of exhausting holes 526 p. That is, theexhausting holes 526 p are formed in surfaces (the side surfaces 512 b,512 c) laterally disposed relative to the airflow introduced into thedelivery container 512 through the forward pipe line 502. Further, theexhausting holes 526 p are positioned at a lower side of the lowercontainer body 526. More specifically, the exhausting holes 526 p arepositioned below a reference plane LD passing through a position where asupporting shaft 552 of the shutter 514 is provided. Thus, in theairflow introduced into the upper container body 524 through the forwardpipe line 502, the airflow, which flows downward to come to the lowercontainer body 526, flows further downward within the lower containerbody 526. Also, the airflow is directed so as to flow in the directioncrossing the introducing direction into the delivery container 512.Accordingly, the medicine, which has dropped to the lower container body526, surely falls on the shutter 514.

As shown in FIGS. 46 and 47, the shutter 514 serves to open and closethe dispensing opening 520 provided at the bottom portions 518 and ispositioned in the lower container body 526 of the delivery container512. The shutter 514 includes a plate body having a cross section of aflat rhombus shape with pointed tips. A thickness of the plate bodybecomes gradually thinner as toward opposite ends of the plate body.

The shutter 514 is disposed rotatably about the supporting shaft 552within the delivery container 512. The supporting shaft 552 isapproximately perpendicular to the side surfaces 512 b, 512 cconstituting the delivery container 512. The supporting shaft isconnected to a drive device 550 provided outside of the outer container530 of the medicine dispensing part 510. The drive device 550 includes amotor 550 a and a power transmission mechanism 550 b. A rotating powerproduced by the motor 550 a is transmitted to the shutter 514 via thesupporting shaft 552 to thereby change an orientation of the shutter514.

The shutter 514 can vertically partition the internal space 516 of thedelivery container 512 by placing its tip edges into contact with theside surfaces 512 a, 512 d of the delivery container 512. If theinternal space 516 is vertically partitioned by the shutter 514, thenthe delivery container 512 goes into a state where the medicine is notallowed to be dispensed from the dispensing opening 520 (hereinafter,this state may be referred to as a closed state). Further, the internalspace 516 of the delivery container 512 can vertically communicate byrotating the shutter 514 about the supporting shaft 552. If aninclination of the shutter becomes steeper than that in the closed stateand the internal space 516 in which it vertically communicates, then thedelivery container 512 goes into a state where the medicine is allowedto be dispensed from the dispensing opening 520 (hereinafter, this statemay be referred to as an open sate). Therefore, as the inclination ofthe shutter 514 is changed by the operation of the drive device 550, thedelivery container 512 can change between a closed state and the openstate.

The delivery container 512 is housed in a space enclosed by the outercontainer 530. The outer container 530 is a hollow box-shaped bodysurrounded by four peripheral surfaces 530 a to 530 d. It is possible tosweep or maintain the delivery container 512 since a lid 530 f providedon a top surface 530 e of the outer container 530 is appropriatelyopened and closed.

The peripheral surface 530 a constituting the outer container 530 ispenetrated by the forward pipe line 502 connected to the deliverycontainer 512 housed in the outer container 530. Further, each of theperipheral surfaces 530 b, 530 c crosses the peripheral surface 530 a(in the present embodiment, approximately crossing at a right angle),while the peripheral surface 530 d is opposite the peripheral surface530 a. As shown in FIGS. 44, 45 and 47, the above-described deliverycontainer 512 is positioned near a corner formed by the peripheralsurfaces 530 b, 530 d in the space of the outer container 530. That is,the peripheral surfaces 530 a, 530 d are parallel to the side surfaces512 a, 512 d of the delivery container 512, respectively, whiledistances between the peripheral surfaces 530 a, 530 d and the sidesurfaces 512 a, 512 d are different from each other. Specifically, thedistance between the peripheral surface 530 a and the side surface 512 ais much larger than the distance between the peripheral surface 530 dand the side surface 512 d. Also, the peripheral surface 530 d and theside surface 512 d are positioned almost without a gap therebetween.Further, the distance between the peripheral surface 530 b and the sidesurface 512 b is smaller than the distance between the peripheralsurface 530 c and the side surface 512 c.

The outer container 530 has an exhausting part 532 for exhausting theair flowing out from the exhausting holes 524 p, 526 p of the deliverycontainer 512 at the peripheral surface 530 c. The exhausting part 532is positioned near the peripheral surface 530 a of the outer container530. The exhausting part 532 is provided with a primary filter 534 and asecondary filter 536 with meshes finer than those of the primary filter534. The primary filter 534 and the secondary filter 536 can be detachedseparately for purposes of cleaning or replacement. The primary filter534 with sparse meshes is disposed upstream in a flow direction of theair exhausted from the exhausting part 532 relative to the secondaryfilter 536 with fine meshes. In the present embodiment, the primaryfilter 534 is disposed in the exhausting part 532 inward of the outercontainer 530, while the secondary filter 536 is disposed outward of theouter container 530.

Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 42, the medicine receiving part 511 providedin the sub unit 3 is comprised of a box-shaped body with an openedmedicine input opening 560 at its top surface. The sub hopper 135provided in the sub unit 3 is connected to the medicine input opening560. The medicine dispensed from the sub storage part 120 is inputtedinto the medicine receiving part 511 through the medicine input opening560. As shown in FIGS. 42 and 48, both the one end of the forward pipeline 502 and a blower pipe 566 connected to the blower 504 are connectedto the medicine receiving part 511 to communicate with each other. Amedicine transfer passage 562 and a medicine input passage 564 extendingfrom the medicine input opening 560 to the forward pipe line 502 areprovided within the medicine receiving part 511.

The forward pipe line 502 and the blower pipe 566 are connected to themedicine transfer passage 562. As indicated by an arrow in FIG. 48, asthe blower 504 operates, airflow is produced toward the forward pipeline 502. The medicine transfer passage 562 joins the medicine inputpassage 564 at its halfway portion. The medicine transfer passage 562has an enlarged diameter section 568, at which a cross section of theflow passage is enlarged, downstream of a junction 566 with the medicineinput passage 564 (i.e., at a portion connected to the forward pipe line502). A diameter of the enlarged diameter section 568 is enlarged towardthe medicine input passage 564 (i.e., toward an upper side) within themedicine receiving part 511. In the present embodiment, the medicinetransfer passage 562 is configured such that an inner diameter of theenlarged diameter section 568 is enlarged to be about 1.5 times largerthan that of an upstream portion 567. Meanwhile, the medicine transferpassage 562 is configured such that a portion upstream of the junction566 (hereinafter, this may be referred to as the upstream portion 567″)and the enlarged diameter section 568 are flush with each other at aportion opposite the medicine input passage 564 (i.e., a bottom side ofthe medicine receiving part 511). Thus, the airflow flowing within themedicine transfer passage 564 smoothly flows toward the forward pipeline 502 without being stagnant or forming a vortex at the junction 566.

Further, the medicine input passage 564 is gently inclined downward fromthe medicine input opening 560 and is joined to the medicine transferpassage 562. Thus, if the airflow is produced by operation of the blower504 within the medicine transfer passage 562, then a suction force fromthe medicine input opening 560 toward the medicine transfer passage 562is produced at the medicine input passage 564. Accordingly, if themedicine is inputted into the medicine input opening 560, as indicatedby a two dot chain line in FIG. 48, the medicine is sucked andintroduced into the medicine transfer passage 562 and then is introducedto the forward pipe line 502.

Next, operation of the transfer device 500 will be described. Thetransfer device 500 starts transferring the medicine by dispensing themedicine from the sub storage part 120 of the sub unit 3. If themedicine dispensed from the sub storage part 120 is introduced into theforward pipe line 502 through the medicine receiving part 511, then theblower 504 operates to produce the airflow from the sub unit 3 towardthe main unit 2 within the forward pipe line 502. Thus, the medicineflows to the medicine dispensing part 510 provided in the main unit 2.In this case, as shown in FIG. 46, the shutter 514 provided in thedelivery container 512 in the medicine dispensing part 510 of the mainunit 2 goes into the closed state.

When the medicine dispensed in the sub unit 3 reaches the medicinedispensing part 510, it is introduced into the delivery container 512.In this case, if the airflow is strong over the weight or quantity ofthe medicine, the medicine collides against the buffer means 522 andthen drops downward in the internal space 516 of the delivery container512. However, if the airflow is not so strong, the medicine dropsdownward in the internal space 516 without collision against the buffermeans 522. Further, after the airflow introduced into the deliverycontainer 512 through the forward pipe line 502 flows downward in theinternal space 516, as indicated by an arrow in FIG. 47, it is exhaustedfrom the exhausting holes 524 p, 526 p formed in the side surfaces 512b, 512 c. Accordingly, the medicine transferred into the deliverycontainer 512 drops smoothly. The medicine dropping within the deliverycontainer 512 falls on the shutter 514 in the closed state.

If all the medicines transferred from the sub unit 3 falls on theshutter 514 as described above, the shutter 514 is changed into the openstate. In such a case, the medicine falls along the surface of theshutter 514 which becomes gradually steeper and then is dispensed fromthe dispensing opening 520 provided on the bottom portion 518 of thedelivery container 512. The medicine dispensed from the dispensingopening 520 is inputted into the medicine preparing part 80 providedbelow the medicine dispensing part 510 for packing in the medicinepacking part 21 provided in the main unit 2. Thereafter, the medicinesprepared in the medicine preparing part 80 are packed by the medicinepacking part 21 one after another.

In case of employing the transfer device 500, it is possible to transferthe medicine from the sub unit 3 to main unit 2 to pack the same asdescribed above, but also to sweep the inside of the medicine transferpath of the transfer device 500 by means of airflow produced by theblower 504. Specifically, when sweeping the inside of the medicinetransfer path of the transfer device 500, the blower 504 operates as theshutter 514 is closed. In this case, the output of the blower 504 is setto be larger than the transfer of the medicine. Thus, dusts remainingwithin the medicine transfer path of the transfer device 500 are sweptoff and then expelled from the exhausting holes 524 p, 526 p of thedelivery container 512. The dusts expelled from the exhausting holes 524p, 526 p are captured by the primary filter 534 and the secondary filter536 provided in the exhausting part 532 of the outer container 530.

As described above, the medicine dispensing system 1 employing thetransfer device 500 can transfer the medicine from the sub unit 3 to themedicine dispensing part 510 provided in the main unit 2 along with theairflow produced by the operation of the blower 504. Further, after themedicine is transferred to the medicine dispensing part 510, themedicine can be dispensed for packing by changing the shutter 514 to theopen state. Accordingly, in case of employing the transfer device 500,similarly to the case employing the above-described transfer device 5,210, 300, 400, it is possible to pack the medicine dispensed in the subunit 3 at the medicine packing part 21 provided in the main unit 2.

In the above-described transfer device 500, the exhausting holes 524 p,526 p are formed below the connection position between the deliverycontainer 512 and the forward pipe line 502. Thus, the airflowintroduced into the delivery container 512 through the forward pipe line502 flows downward. Further, in the above-described delivery container512, the side surfaces 512 b, 512 c, which are disposed laterally to theside surface 512 a connected to the forward pipe line 502, are providedapproximately symmetrically. Thus, the airflow introduced into thedelivery container 512 flows downward as described above and then issmoothly exhausted as bifurcated. As such, in the transfer device 500,the airflow introduced into the delivery container 512 smoothly flowsdownward and is exhausted without being stagnant at the upper side.Thus, the medicine introduced on the airflow drops smoothly withoutblowing within the delivery container 512 and is to be dispensed.

As described above, since the airflow smoothly flows and the medicinesmoothly drops within the delivery container 512, the transfer device500 does not need the pump 408 or the exhaust pipe line 410 for exhaustpurposes as described in the transfer device 400. Accordingly, in caseof employing the transfer device 500, a device configuration can besimplified when compared to the case of employing the transfer device400.

It is illustrated in the present embodiment that the exhausting holes524 p, 526 p are formed in the side surfaces 512 b, 512 c of thedelivery container 512. However, an equivalent to the exhausting holes524 p, 526 p may be formed on the side surfaces 512 a, 512 d. Further,an equivalent to the exhausting holes 524 p, 526 p may be formed in theside surfaces 512 a, 512 d instead of forming the exhausting holes 524p, 526 p in the side surfaces 512 b, 512 c.

Further, it is illustrated in the present embodiment that the exhaustingholes 524 p, 526 p are formed in both the upper container body 524 andthe lower container body 526. However, the present invention should notbe limited to such a configuration. One of the exhausting holes 524 p,526 p may not be formed. Also, the number or the opening area of theopenings 524 p, 526 p may be different. Further, in order to smoothlydrop the medicine within the delivery container 512, the airflow, insome embodiments, is exhausted not in a halfway position in a heightdirection of the delivery container 512, but in a position as low aspossible. Accordingly, in case of forming any one of the exhaustingholes 524 p and the exhausting holes 526 p, it is preferred to form onlythe exhausting holes 526 p. Further, in case of varying the number orthe opening area of the exhausting holes 524 p, 526 p, the number or theopening area of the exhausting holes 524 p, in some embodiments, issmaller than those of the exhausting holes 526 p.

In the above-described transfer device 500, the buffer means 522 isprovided within the delivery container 512 and is disposed opposite theside surface 512 a connected to the forward pipe line 502 or an open endof the forward pipe line 502. Thus, although the medicine introducedfrom the forward pipe line 502 into delivery container 512 collide withthe buffer means 522 from the force of the airflow, breakage or chippingof the medicine hardly occurs.

In the above-described transfer device 500, the shutter 514 is in theclosed state and is inclined as it awaits the transfer of the medicine.Thus, when the medicine is transferred into the delivery container 512and then falls on the shutter 514, a drop distance of the medicine isrelatively short. Accordingly, an impact exerted to the medicine due tothe drop within delivery container 512 is small. Further, once themedicine falls on the shutter 514, the medicine slides along the surfaceof the shutter 514 to drop downward. Thus, after the medicine falls onthe shutter 514, no impact is exerted to the medicine until the medicineis dispensed. Therefore, according to the above-described configuration,it is possible to minimize the impact exerted on the medicinetransferred from sub unit 3 to main unit 2.

As described above, it is possible to easily sweep or maintain theinternal space of the outer container 530 or the delivery container 512by opening the lid 530 f provided on the top surface 530 e of the outercontainer 530. Further, it is possible to divide the delivery container512 by removing the upper container body 524 from the lower containerbody 526. Accordingly, it is possible to easily sweep or maintain theinside of the delivery container 512.

It is illustrated in the present embodiment that the openable andclosable lid 530 f is provided in the outer container 530 and thedelivery container 512 is configured to be divided. However, the outercontainer and the delivery container are not necessarily configured assuch. Further, the delivery container 512 is configured to be divideinto two vertical members (the upper container body 524 and the lowercontainer body 526). However, the delivery container may be divided intomore members. Also, the delivery container may include an openable andclosable lid in order to sweep the inside thereof, similar to the outercontainer 530.

Since the plurality of exhausting holes 524 p, 526 p are formed in theside surfaces 512 b, 512 c of the delivery container 512 in theabove-described transfer device 500, the airflow is exhausted indifferent directions from the delivery container 512. However, in thetransfer device 500, the delivery container 512 is disposed inside theouter container 530. The airflow exhausted from the delivery container512 accumulates in a space between the outer container 530 and thedelivery container 512 and is then exhausted from the exhausting part532 separately provided in the outer container 530 through the primaryfilter 534 and the secondary filter 536. Thus, the transfer device 500can prevent dusts from blowing within the main unit 2.

It is illustrated in the present embodiment that the outer container 530for housing the delivery container 512 or the exhausting part 532 isprovided in order to prevent the airflow from being exhausted from thetransfer device 500 in different directions. However, if dust isunlikely to blow along with the exhaust of the airflow, or if theairflow may be exhausted a little from the transfer device 500, theouter container 530 may not be provided.

In the above-described outer container 530, the primary filter 534 andthe secondary filter 536 are provided in the exhausting part 532. Thus,although the airflow exhausted into the outer container 530 containsdust, it is possible to prevent the dust from flowing out of the outercontainer 530. Further, since the primary filter 534 with sparse meshesis disposed upstream of the secondary filter 536 with fine meshes in theairflow flowing through the exhausting part 532, a service life of thesecondary filter 536 can be extended. Furthermore, it is illustrated inthe present embodiment that the primary filter 534 and the secondaryfilter 536 with different sized meshes are provided in the exhaust part532. However, the present invention should not be limited to suchconfiguration. In some embodiments only one of the primary filter andthe secondary filter may be provided.

As described above, in the medicine dispensing part 510, the deliverycontainer 512 and the forward pipe line 502 are connected to each otherthrough the flexible joint pipe 540. Thus, although a certain stress isapplied to the forward pipe line 502, such stress can be absorbed orrelieved by the joint pipe 540, thereby preventing a joint portionbetween the delivery container 512 and the forward pipe line 502 fromdamaging. Further, it is illustrated in the present embodiment that thedelivery container 512 and the forward pipe line 502 are connected toeach other through the joint pipe 540. However, the present inventionshould not be limited to such a configuration. The joint pipe 540 andthe delivery container 512 may be directly connected to each other.Further, in case a medicine transferring system is configured byconnecting a pipe to another member in the same manner as the pipe line540, the forward pipe line 403 and the exhaust pipe line 410 of theabove-described transfer device 5, 400, a flexible member such as thejoint pipe 540 may be interposed between a pipe and another member. Pipeline 140 or the forward pipe line 403, through which the medicinepasses, may include a hard pipe for preventing the medicine from jammingin a halfway portion. Since a joint portion between a pipe and anothermember is apt to break because of stress, a connecting pipe 540 that ismore flexible than the pipe at the joint portion between the piping andsaid other member may be used.

As described above, in case of employing the transfer device 500, inaddition to the transfer of the medicine from the sub unit 3 to the mainunit 2, it is possible to sweep off the dust remaining within the serialmedicine transfer path extending from the medicine dispensing part 510to the medicine receiving part 511 by means of airflow produced by theoperation of the blower 504. Thus, in case of employing the transferdevice 500, the medicine transfer path can be easily kept clean withoutperforming large-scale work such as removal of the forward pipe line502. Further, the timing of when to sweep the medicine transfer path bymeans of the airflow produced by the operation of the blower 504 may beappropriately set as, for example, a time after the predeterminedquantity of medicine is packed, or a time when an operating means suchas a separately-provided button is operated.

Further, in the present embodiment, when the medicine transfer path inthe transfer device 500 is swept by the airflow produced by theoperation of the blower 504, the output of the blower 504 is set to belarger than the output during the transfer of the medicine. Thus, dust,which does not flow from the airflow produced during the transfer of themedicine, can be swept off by performing a sweeping operation. Further,the output of the blower 504 during sweeping the transfer device 500 maynot necessarily be increased. The output of the blower 504 may be equalto the output during the transfer of the medicine. Furthermore, theoutput of the blower 504 may be appropriately changed during sweeping.

The above-described medicine dispensing system 1 is configured such thatthe medicine dispensed from the manual distributing unit 23 provided inthe main unit 2 is inputted into the medicine preparing part 80 throughthe manual distributing hopper 91 provided below the manual distributingunit as shown in FIGS. 49 and 50. However, it is preferred that themedicine dispensing system is configured to detect whether the medicineis normally dispensed from the manual distributing unit 23. Meanwhile,the manual distributing unit 23 has a plurality of measures 90 and isconfigured to sequentially dispense the medicine from each of themeasures 90. Thus, when a means for detecting a dispensing state of themedicine is provided in each of the measures 90, the structure of themanual distributing unit 23 becomes complicated. Accordingly, based onsuch knowledge, it is preferred that the above-described medicinedispensing system 1 includes a sensor capable of detecting the medicinemidway in a path, through which the medicine dispensed from the manualdistributing unit 23 passes. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 49 and 50,it is preferred that a sensor 570 capable of detecting the medicine isprovided in the manual distributing hopper 91 disposed between themanual distributing unit 23 and the medicine preparing part 80.

Next, other inventions will be explained hereinafter. There exists inthe art a medicine dispensing device as disclosed in the below-mentionedreference Patent Document 2. A prior art medicine dispensing device hasa storage part for storing a plurality kinds of medicines. Such a priorart medicine dispensing device is constructed to pack medicines removedfrom the storage part according to prescriptions into a packing papersheet at a packing part and dispense the same. (see Patent Document 2:Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2006-130307)

A prior art medicine dispensing device disclosed in the above-mentionedPatent Document 2 includes: a packing part for packing medicines; and apacking paper sheet conveying part including a conveying means such as aconveyor for conveying the packing paper sheet, in which the medicinesare packed, toward a removal opening. However, when abnormality inconveying a packing paper sheet occurs due to jamming caused by thepacking paper sheet in the conveying part, the prior art device does nothave a technique for rapidly and reliably detecting such abnormality.Further, in the prior art medicine dispensing device, a position of adispensing opening for dispensing the packed medicine is determinedunder configuration of the conveying means and the packing part. Thus,there is a problem with the prior art device in that the packed medicinecan be removed at a desired position.

Thus, there is a need for a medicine dispensing device, which isconfigured to rapidly and reliably detect abnormality in packing papersheet transfer in a packing paper sheet conveying part, and a medicinedispensing system including the same. Further, there is a need toprovide a medicine dispensing device and a medicine dispensing system,which are configured to remove medicine packed in a packing part at adesired position.

In one embodiment a medicine dispensing device includes a storage partconfigured to store and dispense medicine; a packing part configured topack the medicine dispensed from the storage part into a packing papersheet; and a packing paper sheet conveying part configured to convey apacking paper sheet into which the medicine is packed by the packingpart. The packing paper sheet conveying part includes: a packing papersheet conveying means configured to convey the packing paper sheet alonga predetermined conveyance path through contact with the packing papersheet; and a detecting means configured to contact the packing papersheet passing through the conveyance path and operate independently ofthe packing paper sheet conveying means. It is detected upon a conditionof not operating of the detecting means during operation of the packingpaper sheet conveying means whether an abnormality in transferring apacking paper sheet occurs.

In another embodiment a medicine dispensing device includes, at thepacking paper sheet conveying part, the detecting means contacting thepacking paper sheet and operating independently of the packing papersheet conveying means. The medicine dispensing device can detect whetheror not the packing paper sheet transfer is normal through the detectingmeans. Further, the medicine dispensing device can rapidly and preciselydetect an abnormality in the packing paper sheet transfer. Thus, themedicine dispensing device can perform appropriate measures such asstopping the packing paper sheet transfer, or stopping the dispensing ofmedicine to the packing paper sheet. Thus, it may be possible tominimize the amount of the packing paper sheet or the medicine wastedwhen an abnormality in the packing paper sheet transfer occurs.

Further the detecting means may include a roller independently rotatableof the packing paper sheet conveying means; and a rotation detectingmeans configured to detect a rotation of the roller.

According to such configuration, there can be provided a medicinedispensing device which can detect an abnormality in packing paper sheettransfer based on whether the rotation of the roller is detected by therotation detecting means.

Further, the packing paper sheet conveying part may be configured tobend the conveyance path of the packing paper sheet.

According to such configuration, there can be provided a medicinedispensing device, which can remove the medicine packed in the packingpart at a desired position by appropriately bending the conveyance pathin the packing paper sheet conveying part.

In the medicine dispensing device according to the above-describedembodiment, in order to rapidly detect the abnormality in packing papersheet transfer, an abnormality in packing paper sheet transfer can bedetected in a position as far upstream as possible in a conveyancedirection of the packing paper sheet where the occurrence of theabnormality in packing paper sheet transfer can be accurately detected.Specifically, the abnormality in packing paper sheet transfer can bedetected in a position as far upstream as possible in the conveyancedirection of the packing paper sheet where a conveyance force acts onthe packing paper sheet.

Thus, the detecting means may be situated upstream in the conveyancedirection of the packing paper sheet in the packing paper sheetconveying means.

According to such configuration, there can be provided a medicinedispensing device, which can rapidly and accurately grasp an abnormalityin packing paper sheet transfer when it occurs.

Further, the packing paper sheet conveying part may include a packingpart for packing medicine. The packing paper sheet conveying means maybe provided downstream in the conveyance direction of the packing papersheet relative to the packing part. The packing paper sheet conveyingmeans may include a receiving part receiving a packing paper sheetconveyed from the packing part; and a conveying part downstream of theconveying of the packing paper sheet received in the receiving part. Thedetecting means may be disposed near a boundary between the receivingpart and the conveying part.

In the medicine dispensing device, the receiving part receiving thepacking paper sheet is provided in the packing paper sheet conveyingmeans. In the conveying part, a conveyance force acts on the packingpaper sheet received in the receiving part to convey the packing papersheet. Thus, where the detecting means is disposed near the boundarybetween the receiving part and the conveying part, similar to themedicine dispensing device of the present invention, an abnormality inpacking paper sheet transfer can be rapidly and accurately detected.

Further, there is provided a medicine dispensing system including a mainunit; one or more sub units; and a transfer device configured to connectthe main unit and the sub units. The main unit includes theabove-described medicine dispensing device. The sub unit includes a substorage part configured to store and dispense a plurality kinds ofmedicines. The transfer device transfers the medicine dispensed from thesub storage part toward the main unit. The packing means of the mainunit packs and dispenses the medicine.

The medicine dispensing system may include the main unit and the subunit. It is configured such that the medicine dispensed from the substorage part provided in the sub unit is transferred to the main unitthrough the transfer device and is packed and dispensed together withthe medicine dispensed in the main unit. However, when the packing papersheet conveying part provided in the main unit cannot rapidly andaccurately detect an abnormality in packing paper sheet transfer, themedicine dispensed in the main unit as well as the medicine dispensed inthe sub unit are not allowed to be properly packed. As a result, whenthe medicines dispensed from both the main unit and the sub unit areallowed to be packed together as described in the medicine dispensingsystem of the present invention, not detecting the abnormality inpacking paper sheet transfer rapidly and accurately raises problems inthat the wasted amount of the packing paper sheet and the medicinebecomes excessive.

Thus, a medicine dispensing device in some embodiments may be employedas the main unit. Thus, when an abnormality in packing paper sheettransfer is detected in the main unit, such abnormality can be rapidlyand accurately detected. Further, an abnormality in packing paper sheettransfer can be detected rapidly and accurately in some embodiments, themedicine dispensing device can perform appropriate measures such asstopping the packing paper sheet transfer, or stopping to dispensemedicines to the packing paper sheet in case of the occurrence of anabnormality in packing paper sheet transfer. Thus, the wasted amount ofthe packing paper sheet and the medicine can be minimized.

There can be provided in other embodiments, a medicine dispensingdevice, which is configured to rapidly and reliably detect anabnormality in packing paper sheet transfer in a packing paper sheetconveying part, and the medicine dispensing system including the same.Further, there can be provided a medicine dispensing device and amedicine dispensing system, which are configured to remove a medicinepacked in the packing part at a desired position.

Next, another embodiment will be explained hereinafter. There exists inthe art a medicine dispensing device as disclosed in the below-mentionedreference Patent Document 3. A prior art medicine dispensing device hasa medicine dispensing means. Such a prior art medicine dispensing deviceis configured to pack medicines dispensed from the medicine dispensingmeans according to prescriptions into a packing paper sheet at a packingmeans. Further, as disclosed in Patent Document 3, the prior artmedicine dispensing device includes a printing means and is configuredto print necessary information such as contents of the packed medicineon the packing paper sheet through the printing means. (see PatentDocument 3: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2006-130307).

In a packing work performed by the prior art medicine dispensing devicedisclosed in the Patent Document 3, pharmacists monitor whethermedicines to be fed to the packing part and to be packed therein areaccurately packed. The prior art medicine dispensing device disclosed inthe Patent Document 3 is configured to assume that the medicines to bepacked are fed to the packing part at a time when the medicines to befed to the packing part and to be packed therein are ready and then toperform a printing operation to a packing paper sheet through theprinting means. Thus, in the packing work performed by the prior artmedicine dispensing device disclosed in the Patent Document 3, it cannotbe judged by looking over the information printed on the packing papersheet whether the medicines to be packed are accurately packed. Thus, ithas a problem in that the examination work becomes complicated. Further,it has another problem in that the packing paper sheet, to which theprinting operation is performed after the medicines are already packed,appears to be under a normally packed state. Further, in the prior artmedicine dispensing device, even if the medicines to be packed are notready due to an abnormality in feeding medicines to the packing part,the printing operation is performed to a packing paper sheet, therebywasting the packing paper sheet.

Thus, in one embodiment a medicine dispensing device, which isconfigured to rapidly and precisely perform an examination work and toprevent the occurrence of wasted packing paper sheets, and a medicinedispensing system including the same.

In one embodiment a medicine dispensing device, which includes amedicine dispensing means configured to dispense a medicine according toa prescription; a medicine preparing means configured to receive amedicine dispensed from the medicine dispensing means and to dispensethe same at a predetermined time; a packing means configured to pack amedicine dispensed from the medicine preparing means into a packingpaper sheet; a packing paper sheet feeding means configured to feed apacking paper sheet to the packing means; and a printing meansconfigured to print predetermined information on a packing paper sheetfed from the packing paper sheet feeding means to the packing means. Theprinting means is disposed upstream of the packing means in a flowdirection of the packing paper sheet fed by the packing paper sheetfeeding means. A length of a path, through which a packing paper sheetpasses between the printing means and the packing means, is n times thelength of a packing paper sheet necessary for packing a medicine for onepack. The medicine preparing means includes a plurality of sectionsconfigured to gather the medicine dispensed from the medicine dispensingmeans for one pack respectively and is configured to dispense themedicines gathered in the plurality of sections in a predeterminedorder. The printing means prints information corresponding to a sectionA of the plurality of sections on the packing paper sheet at a timeearlier by a time period necessary for dispensing medicine for a sectionn from the medicine preparing means than a timing of dispensing amedicine gathered in section A.

In another embodiment, the length of the path, through which the packingpaper sheet passes between the printing means and the packing means, isset to be n times the length of the packing paper sheet necessary forpacking medicine for one pack. Further, the medicine preparing meansincludes a plurality of sections and is configured to dispense themedicine gathered in each of the sections in a predetermined order.Thus, the medicine dispensed from section A is packed into the packingpaper sheet, which the printing means prints at a time earlier by a timeperiod necessary for dispensing a medicine for the section n (i.e.,equal to n packs) from the medicine preparing means toward the packingmeans than a time for dispensing a medicine gathered in the section A.That is, a medicine to be packed is supplied to section A at a timeprior to performing the print operation corresponding to section A tothe packing paper sheet. Further, a timing when the medicine gathered inthe section A is dispensed to the packing part and a timing when asection of a packing paper sheet with the information corresponding tosection A printed thereon reaches the packing part are coincidental.Thus, the medicine dispensing device of the present invention performsprinting to a packing paper sheet when medicine to be packed is suppliedto section A. Further, it can easily monitor whether or not a medicineto be packed is exactly supplied and resolve the waste of a packingpaper sheet resulting from an abnormality in feeding a medicine.

Further, in the above-described medicine dispensing device, a printingoperation to the packing paper sheet may be performed by the printingmeans upon a condition that the medicine is fed into section A up to atime earlier by the time period necessary for dispensing a medicine forthe section n from the medicine preparing means than the time ofdispensing a medicine gathered in the section A of the plurality ofsections in the medicine preparing means.

Further, in the above-described medicine dispensing device, the medicineis dispensed from the medicine dispensing means to section A at a timeearlier by a time period more than the time period necessary fordispensing a medicine for the section n from the medicine preparingmeans than the time of dispensing a medicine gathered in section A inthe medicine preparing means. Thus, the information corresponding tosection A is printed on the packing paper sheet after the medicine isfed into section A. Thus, the medicine dispensing device can easilymonitor whether or not a medicine to be packed is accurately packed andresolve the waste of a packing paper sheet resulting from an abnormalityin feeding a medicine.

Further a medicine dispensing device includes a medicine dispensingmeans configured to dispense a medicine according to a prescription; amedicine preparing means configured to receive a medicine dispensed fromthe medicine dispensing means and to dispense the same at apredetermined time; a packing means configured to pack a medicinedispensed from the medicine preparing means into a packing paper sheet;a packing paper sheet feeding means configured to feed a packing papersheet to the packing means; and a printing means configured to printpredetermined information on a packing paper sheet fed from the packingpaper sheet feeding means to the packing means. The printing means isdisposed upstream of the packing means in a flow direction of thepacking paper sheet fed by the packing paper sheet feeding means. Themedicine preparing means includes a plurality of sections configured togather the medicine for one pack dispensed from the medicine dispensingmeans respectively. The medicine preparing means is configured todispense the medicines gathered in the plurality of sections in apredetermined order. A medicine is dispensed from the medicinedispensing means into one section A of the plurality of sections at atime earlier by a timing Z as early as a time period Y when the packingpaper sheet fed by the packing paper sheet feeding means moves from aposition corresponding to the printing means to the packing means, thana timing X when the medicine in the section A is dispensed from themedicine dispensing means toward the packing means. Informationcorresponding to section A is printed on the packing paper sheet at thetime Z by the printing means.

In the above-described medicine dispensing device, medicine is fed intosection A of the medicine preparing means at a time earlier than thetime Z. Further, the information corresponding to section A is printedon the packing paper sheet by the printing means at the time Z as earlyas the time period Y when the packing paper sheet fed by the packingpaper sheet feeding means moves from the position corresponding to theprinting means to the packing means, from the timing X when the medicinein section A is dispensed from the medicine dispensing means toward thepacking means. That is, the information corresponding to section A isprinted on a portion of the packing paper sheet, which is used forpacking the medicine in section A, at the same time as, or later than atime for feeding the medicine into section A. Thus, the medicinedispensing device can perform the printing operation to the medicinedispensing device after ascertaining that the medicine to be packed isexactly fed into the section. Further, the medicine dispensing devicecan easily monitor whether or not the medicine to be packed is exactlyfed and resolve the waste of a packing paper sheet resulting from anabnormality in feeding a medicine.

Further, the printing operation to the packing paper sheet may beperformed upon a condition that the medicine is fed into section A at atime earlier than the time Z.

With such configuration, if the printing operation to the packing papersheet is not performed, it can be judged that the medicine is not fedexactly before the time Z. Thus, examining whether or not the medicineis exactly packed can become easy. Further, according to suchconfiguration, if the medicine is not fed into the section A before thetime Z, the printing operation to the packing paper sheet stops, therebypreventing the occurrence of the wasted packing paper sheet in advance.

Further, a print purporting that the medicine to be packed runs shortmay be made on the packing paper sheet by the printing means upon acondition that the medicine to be packed is not inputted to section Auntil the time earlier than the time Z.

According to such configuration, it is ascertained through only lookingover the print made on the packing paper sheet that the medicine to bepacked runs short. Thus, the examination work can be performed moreeasily and reliably.

Further, in the above-described medicine dispensing device, the medicinepreparing means may include a section forming body having a plurality ofsections arranged circumferentially; and a dispensing opening. Thesection forming body may be configured to move relative to thedispensing opening. When the section reaches a position corresponding tothe dispensing opening, the medicine gathered in the section may bedisposed through the dispensing opening.

Further, there is provided a medicine dispensing system that includes amain unit; one or more sub units; and a transfer device configured toconnect the main unit and the sub units. The main unit includes theabove-described medicine dispensing device. The sub unit includes a substorage part configured to store and dispense a plurality kinds ofmedicines. The transfer device transfers the medicine dispensed from thesub storage part toward the main unit and feeds the medicine into thesection provided in the medicine preparing means. The packing part ofthe main unit packs and dispenses the medicine.

The medicine dispensing system includes the main unit and the sub unit.It is configured such that the medicine dispensed in the sub unit istransferred to the medicine preparing means provided in the main unitand is packed and dispensed together with the medicine dispensed in themain unit by the packing means. However, in the medicine dispensingsystem, there is a possibility that an abnormality in dispensingmedicine to the medicine preparing means occurs in the main unit. Inaddition, there is another possibility that an abnormality in dispensingmedicine occurs in the sub unit, and that troubles take place duringtransferring a medicine to the medicine preparing means through thetransfer device. As such, where the main unit is provided, the medicinedispensing system may have many factors associated with the abnormalityin dispensing medicine to the medicine preparing means. Accordingly,similar to the above-described medicine dispensing device of the presentinvention, it is preferred that the above-described medicine dispensingsystem may have some means so that it can easily monitor whether apacking operation is accurately performed and prevent the packing papersheet from wasting concomitantly with the abnormality in dispensing amedicine to the medicine preparing means.

Thus, the medicine dispensing system, which is provided based on suchknowledge, employs the above-described medicine dispensing device as themain unit. Thus, the medicine dispensing system can prevent the packingpaper sheet from being wasting in conjunction with an abnormality indispensing a medicine to the medicine preparing means.

According to another embodiment, there can be provided a medicinedispensing device, which is configured to easily and accurately performthe examination work regarding whether or not packing medicine isaccurately performed and to prevent the packing paper sheet from wastingeven if the medicine to be dispensed becomes unready due to anabnormality in feeding a medicine to the packing part. Further, therecan be provided a medicine dispensing system that includes such amedicine dispensing device.

Next, another embodiment will be explained hereinafter. There exists inthe art a medicine dispensing device as disclosed in the below-mentionedreference Patent Document 4. A prior art medicine dispensing deviceincludes a plurality of medicine feeding containers configured to storemedicine in a storage part and dispense the medicine. Such a prior artmedicine dispensing device is configured to dispense the medicine fromeach of the medicine feeding container by the amount corresponding to aprescription and pack the same. (see Patent Document 4: JapaneseLaid-Open Patent Application No. 2001-276183).

The prior art medicine dispensing device is used in such a manner thateach of the medicine feeding containers accommodates different kinds ofmedicines. However, the prior art medicine dispensing device is notconfigured to simply and accurately grasp characteristic data of eachmedicine feeding container, such as a date and time when the medicinefeeding container is filled with medicines, a user filling the medicinefeeding container, data related to medicines accommodated in themedicine feeding container, etc. Further, as the number of the medicinefeeding containers increases with an increase in the kinds of medicinesto be dealt with, such a tendency becomes strong. Thus, the relevant artrequires a medicine dispensing device configured to simply andaccurately grasp characteristic data of each medicine feeding container.Similarly, a medicine dispensing system, which is constructed bycombining a plurality of medicine dispensing devices, is required to beconfigured to simply and accurately grasp characteristic data of eachmedicine feeding container.

Thus, to satisfy the aforementioned demand, it is an object of thepresent invention to provide a medicine dispensing device and a medicinedispensing system, which are configured to simply and accurately graspcharacteristic data of each medicine feeding container.

In on embodiment a medicine dispensing device, which includes a medicinefeeding container configured to store a medicine, the medicine feedingcontainer including an information recordable medium; a containermounting part configured to mount the medicine feeding container; and acontrol means. The medicine is allowed to be dispensed by mounting themedicine feeding container to the container mounting part. The controlmeans is configured to perform data communication for a characteristicdata of the medicine feeding container with the information recordablemedium of the medicine feeding container.

According to such configuration, there can be provided a medicinedispensing device, which can perform the data communication for thecharacteristic data between the control means and the medicine feedingcontainer having the information recordable medium and can simply andaccurately grasp the characteristic data.

Further, a medicine dispensing device, which is provided based on thesame knowledge, may include a storage means configured to store anddispense medicine; and a control means configured to data-communicatewith an information recordable medium. The storage means may include aplurality of attachable/detachable medicine feeding containersconfigured to store and dispense the medicine. The informationrecordable medium may be provided in some or all of the medicine feedingcontainers. A data communication for the characteristic data of themedicine feeding container may be performed between the informationrecordable medium of the medicine feeding container and the controlmeans.

The above-described medicine dispensing device includes a storage meansconfigured to store and dispense medicine; and a control meansconfigured to data-communicate with the information recordable medium.Herein, the storage means includes a shelf or drum, in which a pluralityof medicine feeding container are removably provided (for example, thismay be referred to as a main storage part or a sub storage part inembodiments described below). Further, in the medicine dispensingdevice, a plurality of medicine feeding containers configured to storeand dispense a medicine are removably provided in the storage means,which includes a shelf or drum. Herein, the medicine feeding containercorresponds to a feeder container in the below-described embodiments anda container capable of dispensing the medicine accommodated therein. Theabove-described storage means, which includes the medicine feedingcontainer, can dispense the medicine dispensed from the medicine feedingcontainer for the purpose of packing the same.

With the above-described constitution, there can be provided a medicinedispensing device, which can data communicate with the control meanswith respect to the characteristic data of each of the medicine feedingcontainers with the information recordable medium and thus can simplyand accurately grasp the characteristic data.

Further, the control means may be configured to data communicate with anoperator information recordable medium recording an operator informationspecifying an operator. The operator information read from the operatorinformation recordable medium through the data communication may berecorded into the information recordable medium.

According to such constitution, information on an operator, who performstasks relevant to the medicine feeding container, such as filling themedicine feeding container with medicines, may be recorded into theinformation recordable medium of each of the medicine feedingcontainers.

Further, the medicine dispensing device may be configured to operate ina plurality of operation modes. The operation mode may change in apredetermined operation mode selected from a plurality of operationmodes upon a condition that the data communication is allowed betweenthe control means and the information recordable medium of the medicinefeeding container removed from a container mounting part.

In the medicine dispensing device, the operation mode changes upon acondition that the data communication is allowed between the controlmeans and the information recordable medium of the medicine feedingcontainer. That is, it can be used as a trigger for changing theoperation modes that the information recordable medium provided in eachof medicine feeding container is allowed to data communicate with thecontrol means. Thus, efforts required to change the operation modes canbe minimized and misoperation can be prevented.

Further, the medicine dispensing device may include a mark reading meansfor reading an identification mark assigned to each of the kinds ofmedicine. The kinds of medicine may be specified by the control meansbased on the identification mark read by the mark reading means.Information on the kinds of medicine may be recorded into theinformation recordable medium through data communication between thecontrol means and the information recordable medium of the medicinefeeding container removed from the container mounting part.

According to such configuration, if the mark reading means reads theidentification mark assigned to each of the kinds of medicine whenfilling the medicine feeding container removed from the containermounting part with a medicine, the information on the kind of such amedicine can be recorded into the information recordable medium of themedicine feeding container through data communication. Thus, accordingto the medicine dispensing device of one embodiment, when the medicinefeeding container is filled with a medicine, the information on thekinds of medicine can be easily and reliably recorded into theinformation recordable medium.

Further, the medicine dispensing device according to the above-describedinvention may further include a cassette placing part configured toplace the medicine feeding container removed from the container mountingpart; and an interface means wiredly or wirelessly connected to thecontrol means. When the medicine feeding container is placed on thecassette placing part, the information recordable medium of the medicinefeeding container may be allowed to data communicate with the controlmeans via the interface means.

According to such configuration, efforts required to enable the datacommunication between the information recordable medium and the controlmeans after removing the medicine feeding container from the containermounting part can be minimally saved.

Further, the medicine dispensing device may further include an interfacemeans wiredly or wirelessly connected to the control means. Theinterface means may be configured to read and record data as not incontact with the information recordable medium.

According to such configuration, efforts required to enable the datacommunication between the information recordable medium and the controlmeans after removing the medicine feeding container from the containermounting part can be saved.

The above-described medicine dispensing device can data-communicate withthe information recordable medium of each of the medicine feedingcontainers with respect to the characteristic data of the medicinefeeding container. Thus, the medicine dispensing device can beconfigured to dispense medicines for purposes of packing the same evenif the medicine feeding container accommodating a predetermined medicineis situated at any location in the storage means. However, some medicineof the plurality kinds of medicines is prone to bound, roll over, breakor chip due to drop impact at a dispensing portion while dispensed fromthe medicine feeding container. In case of dealing with such a medicine,it must be dealt with in a different manner from those for othermedicines (for example, adjustment in dispensing timing regarding boundor roll, means for mitigating drop impact, etc.) so as not to cause anabnormality in dispensing medicine. Accordingly, the medicine feedingcontainer accommodating medicine having such a particularcharacteristics is attached to a location capable of resolving theforegoing matter.

Thus, based on such knowledge, medicines may be sequentially dispensedbased on prescription data inputted to the control means. A plurality ofthe container mounting parts configured to mount the medicine feedingcontainer may be provided. The control means may include acorrespondence relationship storing part defining and storing acorrespondence relationship between the plurality of container mountingparts and the medicine feeding container to be attached to the pluralityof the container mounting parts; and a judging part. The judging partmay be configured to perform an error judgment operation for judging thefollowing states, by comparing the correspondence relation storing partand the characteristic data of the medicine feeding container obtainedfrom the data communication with the information recordable medium ofthe medicine feeding container mounted on the container mounting part: aright mount state where the medicine feeding container is properlymounted on the container mount part coinciding with the correspondencerelationship regulated in the correspondence relationship storing part;and an erroneous mount state where the medicine feeding container iserroneously mounted on the container mounting part against thecorrespondence relationship regulated in the correspondence relationshipstoring part. Dispensing the medicines may continue from other medicinefeeding containers excluding a erroneously mounted medicine feedingcontainer upon a condition that it is judged by the error judgmentoperation that there is an erroneously mounted medicine feedingcontainer, and that a medicine accommodated in the erroneously mountedmedicine feeding container is not medicine to be dispensed according tothe prescription data. Dispensing the medicines may stop upon acondition that it is judged by the error judgment operation that thereis the erroneously mounted medicine feeding container, and that amedicine accommodated in the erroneously mounted medicine feedingcontainer is a medicine to be dispensed according to the prescriptiondata.

In the medicine dispensing device of one embodiment, the judging part ofthe control means performs an error judgment operation. Based on thecorrespondence relationship between the container mounting part and themedicine feeding container, which is regulated in the correspondencerelationship storing part, it can be judged whether the medicine feedingcontainer is properly mounted or erroneously mounted on the containermounting part dedicated for said medicine feeding container. Further, inthe medicine dispensing device, where the medicine feeding container iserroneously mounted and such a medicine feeding container does notaccommodate a medicine to be dispensed, even if dispensing a medicinedoes not intentionally stop in other medicine feeding containers,problems such as bound, roll, breakage, chipping, etc. of medicines donot occur. And, stopping to dispense a medicine leads to loss of workefficiency. Accordingly, in the medicine dispensing device, where theerroneously mounted medicine feeding container does not accommodate amedicine to be dispensed, dispensing a medicine continues and theerroneously mounted medicine feeding container can be dismounted withoutstopping to dispense medicine. Accordingly, in the medicine dispensingdevice, even if the erroneously mounted medicine feeding containerexists, the loss of work efficiency resulting therefrom can beminimized.

By contrast, where the erroneously mounted medicine feeding containerexists and such a medicine feeding container accommodates a medicine tobe dispensed, continuing to dispense a medicine causes theaforementioned problems such as bound, roll, breakage, chipping, etc. ofmedicines. Accordingly, in such a case, the medicine dispensing deviceof in some embodiments is configured to stop to dispense a medicine.Thus, according to the medicine dispensing device in some embodiments,it is possible to prevent medicines from being dispensed from theerroneously mounted medicine feeding container.

Further, it is preferred that medicines prone to bound, roll over, breakor chip due to drop impact at the dispensing portion are dispensed at aside as low as possible.

Thus, in the above-described medicine dispensing device provided basedon such knowledge, the storage means may include a plurality of thecontainer mounting parts configured to mount the medicine feedingcontainer. The container mounting parts may be vertically arranged. Itmay be judged through the error judgment operation whether a medicinefeeding container to be mounted on a container mounting part providedbelow a predetermined height is erroneously mounted on a containermounting part provided in a position above the predetermined height.

According to such configuration, it can be prevented that the medicinefeeding container accommodating the medicine to be dispensed at a sideas low as possible (i.e. the aforementioned medicine causing problemssuch as bound, roll, breakage or chipping concomitantly with drop) iserroneously mounted on the container mounting part situated in aposition above the predetermined height.

Further, the above-described medicine dispensing device provided basedon the same knowledge, the container mounting part configured to mountthe medicine feeding container may be disposed in each of a plurality ofcontainer mounting regions defined along a height direction. Thecorrespondence relationship storing part may regulate the correspondencerelationship between the container mounting part and the medicinefeeding container to be attached to the container mounting part as arelationship relative to the container mounting region located at aheight corresponding to an upper attachment limit of a medicine feedingcontainer that is determined according to a kind of medicine. Theerroneous mount state may be judged through the error judgment operationwhen a medicine feeding container is mounted on a container mountingpart of a container mounting region locating beyond a container mountingregion located at a height corresponding to the upper attachment limit.The right mount state may be judged through the error judgment operationwhen a medicine feeding container is mounted on a container mountingpart of a container mounting region located at a height below the upperattachment limit.

In the medicine dispensing device, the correspondence relationshipstoring part can regulate the correspondence relationship between thecontainer mounting regions and the height corresponding to the upperattachment limit of the medicine feeding container at a plurality ofsteps in view of that bound, roll, breakage or chipping occurs at whatlevel concomitantly with drop. Further, the erroneous mount state can bejudged through the error judgment operation based on such a regulation,when a medicine feeding container is mounted on a container mountingpart of a container mounting region located upward beyond a containermounting region located at a height corresponding to the upperattachment limit. Thus, it is possible to prevent the occurrence oftrouble such as an abnormality in dispensing a medicine resulting fromthe erroneous mount state.

Further, the control means may be configured to perform a searchoperation for searching and selecting a container mounting part, onwhich the medicine feeding container judged to be in the erroneous mountstate through the error judgment operation must be mounted.

According to such configuration, it can be easily determined through thesearch operation on which container mounting part the erroneouslymounted medicine feeding container must be mounted.

Further, a search condition may be determined based on thecharacteristic data of the medicine feeding container obtained by thedata communication with the information recordable medium, which themedicine feeding container judged to be in the erroneous mount statethrough the error judgment operation includes.

According to such configuration, even if an operator does not separatelyinput a search condition in the search operation, the container mountingpart on which the erroneously mounted medicine feeding container must bemounted can be selected. Thus, convenience in the search operation canbe enhanced.

In the above-described invention, the storage means may be configured tomove each of the container mounting parts to an attachment/detachmentwork position where an attachment/detachment work of the medicinefeeding container can be performed. The container mounting part selectedthrough the search operation may be moved to the attachment/detachmentwork position.

In such a medicine dispensing device, a container mounting part locatedat a proper position, in which the erroneously mounted medicine feedingcontainer must be properly attached, is moved to theattachment/detachment work position. Thus, convenience in attaching themedicine feeding container in the proper position can be enhanced.

Further, there is provided a medicine dispensing system that includes amain unit; one or more sub units; and a transfer device configured toconnect the main unit and the sub units. The main unit includes theabove-described medicine dispensing device. The sub unit includes a substorage means configured to store and dispense a plurality kinds ofmedicines. The sub storage means includes a plurality ofattachable/detachable medicine feeding containers configured to storeand dispense a medicine. The transfer device transfers the medicinedispensed from the sub storage means toward the main unit. The medicineis dispensed in the main unit.

Such a medicine dispensing system includes the main unit and the subunit. A plurality of medicine feeding containers are removably attachedto both the storage means of the main unit and the sub storage means ofthe sub unit. Accordingly, the medicine dispensing system has a largenumber of medicine feeding containers and thus needs to be configured toeven more easily and reliably control the characteristic data of each ofthe medicine feeding containers. Thus, the medicine dispensing system,which is provided based on such knowledge, includes the above-describedmedicine dispensing device as the main unit. As a result, the medicinedispensing system can simply and accurately grasp and control thecharacteristic data through the data communication between the controlmeans provided in the main unit and the information recordable medium ofeach of the medicine feeding containers provided in the main unit andthe sub unit.

Thus, there can be provided a medicine dispensing device and a medicinedispensing system, which are configured to simply and accurately graspthe characteristic data of each medicine feeding container.

1. A medicine dispensing system comprising: a main unit; one or more subunits; and a transfer device configured to connect the main unit and thesub unit, wherein the main unit comprises: a main storage partconfigured to store and dispense a plurality of kinds of medicines; anda packing part configured to pack the medicine dispensed from the mainstorage part, wherein the sub unit comprises a sub storage partconfigured to store and dispense a plurality of kinds of medicines,wherein the transfer device transfers the medicine dispensed from thesub storage part toward the main unit and the packing part of the mainunit packs and dispenses the medicine, and wherein the transfer devicecomprises: a pipe line for connecting the main unit and the sub unit;and a transfer means configured to suck or pressure-send the medicineexisting in the pipe line from the sub unit toward the main unit.
 2. Themedicine dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the transfer devicecomprises: a forward pipe line connecting the main storage part and thesub storage part; an airflow producing means configured to produce anair flow within the forward pipe line from the sub unit toward the mainunit; and a delivery part connected to the forward pipe line andconfigured to receive and dispense the medicine transferred from the subunit through the forward pipe line at the main unit, and wherein thedelivery part comprises a delivery container and a shutter, the forwardpipe line being connected to the delivery container, wherein thedelivery container comprises an internal space and a dispensing opening,the internal space configured such that the medicine transferred throughthe forward pipe line freely falls therein, the dispensing opening beingdisposed at a bottom portion of the delivery container to dispense themedicine, wherein the shutter is configured to be changed between adispensing-allowed state where the medicine is allowed to be dispensedfrom the dispensing opening, and a dispensing-unallowed state.
 3. Amedicine dispensing system comprising: a main unit; one or more subunits; and a transfer device configured to connect the main unit and thesub unit, wherein the main unit comprises: a main storage partconfigured to store and dispense a plurality of kinds of medicines; anda packing part configured to pack the medicine dispensed from the mainstorage part, wherein the sub unit comprises a sub storage partconfigured to store and dispense a plurality of kinds of medicines,wherein the transfer device transfers the medicine dispensed from thesub storage part toward the main unit and the packing part of the mainunit packs and dispenses the medicine, wherein the transfer devicecomprises: a forward pipe line connecting the main storage part and thesub storage part; an airflow producing means configured to produce anair flow within the forward pipe line from the sub unit toward the mainunit; and a delivery part connected to the forward pipe line andconfigured to receive and dispense the medicine transferred from the subunit through the forward pipe line at the main unit, wherein thedelivery part comprises a delivery container and a shutter, the forwardpipe line being connected to the delivery container, wherein thedelivery container comprises an internal space and a dispensing opening,the internal space configured such that the medicine transferred throughthe forward pipe line freely falls therein, the dispensing opening beingdisposed at a bottom portion of the delivery container to dispense themedicine, and wherein the shutter is configured to be changed between adispensing-allowed state where the medicine is allowed to be dispensedfrom the dispensing opening, and a dispensing-unallowed state.
 4. Themedicine dispensing system of claim 3, wherein the delivery containerfurther comprises an exhaust hole for exhausting an airflow flowing inthrough the forward pipe line, the exhaust hole being positioneddownwardly of a connection position between the delivery container andthe forward pipe line.
 5. The medicine dispensing system of claim 4,wherein the delivery container comprises: a side portion (A) connectedto the forward pipe line; and a pair of opposed side portions (B, C)crossing to the side portions, and wherein the exhaust hole is providedat each of the pair of the side portions (B, C).
 6. The medicinedispensing system of claim 3, wherein a buffer means configured tobuffer an impact caused by collision of the medicine is provided withinthe delivery container, wherein the forward pipe line is connected to aside portion of the delivery container, and wherein the buffer means isdisposed opposite to the side portion to which the forward pipe line isconnected.
 7. The medicine dispensing system of claim 3, wherein theshutter is configured to change an inclination thereof in the deliverycontainer, wherein the shutter becomes in the dispensing-unallowed statewhen the medicine is not dispensed from the dispensing opening when theshutter is situated to obliquely traverse the internal space of thedelivery container, and wherein the shutter becomes in thedispensing-allowed state when the medicine is dispensed from thedispensing opening by changing the inclination of the shutter from thedispensing-unallowed state.
 8. The medicine dispensing system of claim3, wherein the delivery container is configured to divide into two ormore sub container bodies.
 9. The medicine dispensing system of claim 3,wherein the delivery part further comprises an outer container, whereinthe delivery container is disposed in the outer container, and whereinthe delivery container includes an exhausting part for exhausting anairflow exhausted from the delivery container into the outer containeroutwardly of the outer container.
 10. The medicine dispensing system ofclaim 9, wherein the exhausting part includes: a primary filter; and asecondary filter disposed downstream of the primary filter in an exhaustflow direction, the secondary filter having meshes finer than theprimary filter.
 11. The medicine dispensing system of claim 3, whereinthe delivery container and the forward pipe line are connected to eachother via a flexible joint pipe.
 12. The medicine dispensing system ofclaim 3, wherein while a transfer operation of a medicine from the subunit to the main unit is completed and thereafter a next transferoperation is done, the shutter becomes in the dispensing-allowed stateand the airflow producing means operates, thereby performing a sweepingoperation for sweeping a medicine transfer passage formed in thetransfer device.
 13. A medicine dispensing device for a sub unit forconstructing a medicine dispensing system, the medicine dispensingsystem comprising: a main unit and one or more sub units, the main unitand the sub unit being configured to dispense a predetermined medicineby a predetermined quantity; and a transfer device, wherein a medicinedispensed in the sub unit is transferred by the transfer device to themain unit and is dispensed in the main unit, and a medicine dispensingdevice comprising: a sub storage part configured to store and dispense aplurality of kinds of medicines; and a transfer device configured totransfer a medicine dispensed from the sub storage part toward the mainunit, wherein the transfer device comprises: a pipe line for connectingthe main unit and the sub unit; and a transfer means configured to suckor pressure-send the medicine existing in the pipe line from the subunit toward the main unit.
 14. The medicine dispensing device of claim13, wherein the transfer device includes: a forward pipe line incommunication with the sub storage part and being configured to beconnected to the main storage part; an airflow producing means forproducing an airflow from the sub unit toward the main unit within theforward pipe line; and a delivery part, the forward pipe line beingconnected to the delivery part, the delivery part being configured toreceive and dispense the medicine transferred from the sub unit throughthe forward pipe line in the main unit, wherein the delivery partcomprises a delivery container and a shutter, the forward pipe linebeing connected to the delivery container, wherein the deliverycontainer comprises an internal space and a dispensing opening, theinternal space configured such that the medicine transferred through theforward pipe line freely falls therein, the dispensing opening beingdisposed at a bottom portion of the delivery container to dispense themedicine, wherein the shutter is configured to be changed between adispensing-allowed state where the medicine is permitted to be dispensedfrom the dispensing opening, and a dispensing-unallowed state.
 15. Themedicine dispensing device of claim 13, wherein the transfer devicecomprises: a forward pipe line in communication with the sub storagepart and configured to be connected to a main storage part provided inthe main unit; an airflow producing means configured to produce anairflow from the sub unit toward the main unit within the forward pipeline; an exhaust pipe line configured to be connected to the mainstorage part; a suction and exhaust means configured to suck and exhaustthrough the exhaust pipe line from an inside portion of the main storagepart to an outside portion thereof; and a shutter configured to close atleast one of the forward pipe line and the exhaust pipe line, whereinthe transfer device is configured to perform the following: a medicinetransferring operation for moving a medicine to the main storage part byoperating the airflow producing means in a closed state where theforward pipe line is closed by the shutter; and a medicine introducingoperation for introducing medicine from the forward pipe line to themain storage part by operating the suction and exhaust means in acommunication state where the shutter is opened and the forward pipeline, the exhaust pipe line and the main storage part are incommunication with one another.
 16. The medicine dispensing device ofclaim 13, wherein the transfer device comprises: a forward pipe line incommunication with the sub storage part and configured to be connectedto a main storage part provided in the main unit; an airflow producingmeans configured to produce an air flow within the forward pipe linefrom the sub unit toward the main unit; and a delivery part connected tothe forward pipe line and configured to receive and dispense themedicine transferred from the sub unit through the forward pipe line atthe main unit, and wherein the delivery part comprises a deliverycontainer and a shutter, the forward pipe line being connected to thedelivery container, wherein the delivery container comprises an internalspace and a dispensing opening, the internal space configured such thatthe medicine transferred through the forward pipe line freely fallstherein, the dispensing opening being disposed at a bottom portion ofthe delivery container to dispense the medicine, wherein the shutter isconfigured to be changed between a dispensing-allowed state where themedicine is allowed to be dispensed from the dispensing opening, and adispensing-unallowed state.
 17. The medicine dispensing device of claim16, wherein the delivery container further comprises an exhaust hole forexhausting an airflow flowing in through the forward pipe line, theexhaust hole being positioned downwardly of a connection positionbetween the delivery container and the forward pipe line.
 18. Themedicine dispensing device of claim 17, wherein the delivery containercomprises: a side portion (A) connected to the forward pipe line; and apair of opposed side portions (B, C) crossing to the side portions, andwherein the exhaust hole is provided at each of the pair of the sideportions (B, C).
 19. The medicine dispensing device of claim 16, whereina buffer means configured to buffer an impact caused by collision of themedicine is provided within the delivery container, wherein the forwardpipe line is connected to a side portion of the delivery container, andwherein the buffer means is disposed opposite to the side portion towhich the forward pipe line is connected.
 20. The medicine dispensingdevice of claim 16, wherein the shutter is configured to change aninclination thereof in the delivery container, wherein the shutterbecomes in the dispensing-unallowed state when the medicine is notdispensed from the dispensing opening when the shutter is situated toobliquely traverse the internal space of the delivery container, andwherein the shutter becomes in the dispensing-allowed state when themedicine is dispensed from the dispensing opening by changing theinclination of the shutter from the dispensing-unallowed state.
 21. Themedicine dispensing device of claim 16, wherein the delivery containeris configured to divide into two or more sub container bodies.
 22. Themedicine dispensing device of claim 16, wherein the delivery partfurther comprises an outer container, wherein the delivery container isdisposed in the outer container, and wherein the delivery containerincludes an exhausting part for exhausting an airflow exhausted from thedelivery container into the outer container outwardly of the outercontainer.
 23. The medicine dispensing device of claim 22, wherein theexhausting part includes: a primary filter; and a secondary filterdisposed downstream of the primary filter in an exhaust flow direction,the secondary filter having meshes finer than the primary filter. 24.The medicine dispensing device of claim 16, wherein the deliverycontainer and the forward pipe line are connected to each other via aflexible joint pipe.
 25. The medicine dispensing device of claim 16,wherein while a transfer operation of a medicine from the sub unit tothe main unit is completed and thereafter a next transfer operation isdone, the shutter becomes in the dispensing-allowed state and theairflow producing means operates, thereby performing a sweepingoperation for sweeping a medicine transfer passage formed in thetransfer device.